Unpaid Break Calculator
See how much time your unpaid breaks add up to each week and year — and what that time is worth at your hourly rate.
Why unpaid breaks add up
A meal break feels small day to day, but over a year it is real time. A daily 30-minute unpaid lunch is 2.5 hours a week and roughly 125 hours a year — the equivalent of three full work-weeks you spend at work without pay. That is legal for genuine meal periods, but it is worth seeing the number.
The “value” figure simply prices that time at your hourly rate. It is not pay you are owed — it shows what a genuine, relieved-of-duty meal break costs in time. If you actually work through lunch, that time may be payable.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Under federal law, bona fide meal periods (typically 30 minutes or more) where you are fully relieved of duty are unpaid. Short rest breaks (usually under 20 minutes) are counted as worked time and must be paid. Some states add their own meal-break rules.
A 30-minute unpaid lunch, 5 days a week, is 2.5 hours per week — about 125 hours (over three work-weeks) across a 50-week year. This calculator shows the weekly and yearly totals and what they are worth at your rate.
Generally no, if it is a genuine meal break where you are relieved of duties. But if you work through lunch, answer calls, or cannot leave your post, that time may be compensable. If you are unsure, check your state rules or ask your employer.
Unpaid breaks are not worked time, so they do not count toward the 40-hour overtime threshold. A longer unpaid lunch lowers your paid hours for the week.