Employee Breaks

Meal and Rest Breaks

The Employee Breaks feature enables users to take and manage paid and unpaid breaks through the NorthStar Order Entry application.

The meal break feature will:

• Allow the administrator to configure breaks in accordance with local law

• Allow users to start and end breaks using the Order Entry Application

• Notify the users of the break before the scheduled time

• Allow acknowledgement of breaks by a manager/supervisor

• Record break records and notifications for reporting purposes

Configuration - ECM

Breaks are enabled and configured in ECM. 

• Account setting – Enable feature toggle Enable Site Time Clock Breaks (Contact your account manager to enable this setting for your account.) 

Open

• Job > Permissions – Can change the break type a user clocked out for - Select as needed to give a job this permission 

Time Clock > Breaks

Configure break settings:

• Warning - The amount of time prior to break that a warning will appear on the user's screen (staff or manager). The warning appears as an unobtrusive orange bar at the top of the screen.

• Break name

• Duration - length of break time

  • Note: When user clocks out for break, they cannot clock back in early; end break button is disabled until break duration is met. 

• Interval - time from clock in to break time

• Alert - amount of time prior to break for alert pop-up notification to display. The alert appears as an obtrusive pop-up on-screen; requires user action. 

Open

• Manage Jobs Break

  Select jobs permitted to take breaks and jobs permitted to manage breaks (will receive notification when breaks are due/overdue); publish changes after configurations are completed.

Warnings and Alerts

Staff and management are alerted prior to breaks according to the Warning and Alert settings configured in ECM: 

Triggers

When the time is reached, the warning or alert will appear on screen when triggered by the following actions: 

Staff

When the warning or alert time is reached, the warning bar or alert pop-up will display. 

• Warning Bar

  • Appears at top of screen prior to break; specifies type of break and break time 
    [Break name] is at [break time]
    
    

• Appears on the location manager page, ordering menu, location menu and cashier menu

• Alert pop-up

  • Appears prior to break and is triggered by the following user actions: 
    
    

    • Tap Submit Order on Ordering Menu screen

    • Tap Print All Checks on Ordering Menu screen

    • Tap Finalize on Payment screen or Ordering Menu screen

    • Tap Done on Payment screen

    • Log in to the app

  • Specifies type of break and break time 
    You can now take your break. [Break type] is at [time] 

    • Ignore - temporarily dismisses the window

    • Time Clock - Opens the time clock window and allows the user to clock out for the break

Manager

When the warning or alert time is reached, the warning bar or acknowledgment pop-up will display. 

• Warning bar

  • Appears prior to break; specifies number of notifications to be acknowledged
    You have [number of notifications] notifications to acknowledge

  • The number is updated when:

    • A notification is acknowledged

    • There is a new notification 

  • Appears on the location manager page, ordering menu, location menu and cashier menu

• Break Notifications acknowledgement window

  • Appears prior to break; several options available: 

    • Current - Shows current breaks to be acknowledged

    • Previous - Shows breaks previously acknowledged for the day

    • All - Shows both current and previous breaks 

    • Time Clock - Takes the user to the time clock

    • Print - Prints the break notification report 

      • Sample:
        
        

    • Save - The manager role can select one or more or all notifications then click Save to acknowledge and dismiss the notification(s).
      
      

  • The Break Notification Acknowledgment window is cleared at end of day. 

Time Clock

Time clock buttons are enabled or disabled depending on the employee's break status

• Clock in - Break buttons are enabled 

• Clock out for rest break

  • Break buttons disabled until configured break time has elapsed and user can clock back in 

• When break time has elapsed, the "end" break button becomes enabled to allow the user to clock back in 

• Clock in from break; break buttons become enabled 

• When the employee clocks out at end of shift, the time card reflects the breaks (time out/time in)

Related articles

Employee Breaks - Reports

Adjust Break Record

Jobs and Labor Categories

Add/Edit a Job

Time Clock - Declare, add or adjust tips

Time Clock - Declared tips must meet/exceed credit card tips

Reference - California Labor Laws