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How to set up automatic Break rules
How to set up automatic Break rules

You can set up paid or unpaid breaks that will be added to the Schedule automatically, or add manual breaks on a shift-by-shift basis.

Saad Saeed avatar
Written by Saad Saeed
Updated over a week ago

🎯 For administrators who have access to all settings.
You can set up break rules that automatically apply a break to the shifts in your schedule, or you can add them manually on a shift-by-shift basis. If you want your employees to use Punch Clock to punch in and out of their breaks, click here.


What are Automatic break rules?

Set up automatic break rules to automatically apply breaks either at a specific time of day or after a set amount of time has been worked.


Set up automatic Break rules

Set up automatic break rules to automatically apply breaks either at a specific time of day or after a set amount of time has been worked.

For both Time of day and Time after start breaks, you can determine the following:

  • The name of the break

  • How long a shift must be before an employee receives a break.

  • The days it applies to.

  • If the break should be paid or unpaid.

  • The Department(s), Employee group(s) and Employee types the break applies to.

Setting up automatic breaks based on time of the day

First, go to Settings > Schedule > Break rules and click on Add break. ⬆️

To add a break at a specific time of day, click Add break, and select the Time of day break type. Give your break a name, set how long the shift must be for this break to be applicable and set when the break should start and end. ⬇️

‎break_time of day_new_new.‎001.jpeg

Setting up automatic breaks based on time after start of a shift

If you need to give employees a break after working a certain amount of time, go to Settings > Schedule > Breaks, press Add break, then choose the Time after start break rule. Specify the break length, then decide how far into the shift the break should begin and if it should be paid or unpaid.

‎Time after start_new_new.‎001.jpeg


Setting up multiple automatic break rules

If you want to set up multiple break rules that occur throughout the day, we recommend that you have the longest shift possible in mind and add all the breaks accordingly.

  • Follow the steps described above to create your first break rule of the day

  • For the following break(s), add only the additional break time and not the total break time. The breaks will accumulate.

For example, if you want to give your employees one 10-minute paid break if the shift is 4 hours and another 10-minute paid break if the shift is 7 hours, configure this as two separate break rules:

Break rule 1:

‎break rule 1_new.‎001.jpeg


Break rule 2:

‎break rule 2_new.‎001.jpeg

This will result in 2 x 10 min paid breaks, a total of 20 minutes if the shift is 7 hours or longer.


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