Do I get paid during my lunch break and can I leave the workplace during the break?

Pursuant to the Working Hours Act, an employee must always be given a regular break of at least one hour if the daily continuous working hours exceed six hours and the employee’s presence at the workplace is not necessary for the continuation of the work. Employees must be free to leave the workplace during their break. The employee and the employer may also agree on shortening a lunch break to half an hour.

If an employee is permitted to leave the workplace for the duration of their lunch break, no salary is paid for the time spent on the break and it is not included in working hours. However, sometimes it is not possible to give a lunch break from the perspective of the continuation of the work. In this case, the employee may bring e.g. a packed lunch and will be paid a salary for the time they spend eating it.

Collective agreements may include sector-specific terms and conditions related to daily breaks.