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Wages and hours — Tennessee Templates

Hours of work

From a wage/hour standpoint, it may be beneficial for the employer to define in its employee handbook or personnel manual the employer’s workweek and normal office and production hours. If applicable, different shifts may be described. Setting forth lunch, break, and wash-up periods is advisable because it provides employees with notice of the policy and enables supervisors to more easily discipline those who deviate from it. Communicating these expectations to employees may be helpful in setting essential requirements of the job under the ADA and in avoiding paying unemployment compensation to employees who voluntarily leave their employment because they are unable to work the required schedule.

Tennessee law requires that each employee scheduled to work six consecutive hours must have a 30-minute meal or rest period, except in workplace environments that by their nature of business provide for ample opportunity to rest or take an appropriate break. The break can be unpaid, but must not be scheduled during or before the first hour of scheduled work activity. The failure to give a 30-minute meal or rest period is a violation of state law only. The state law includes a provision under which tipped employees...


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