NC H438

Requires all employers to provide at least one paid 20-minute break to employees working shifts of six hours or more, scheduled near the middle of the workday

Breaks are voluntary for employees and cannot be used to delay the start or shorten the end of a work shift without employer approval

Establishes civil penalties of up to $100 for first violations and up to $500 for subsequent violations, with penalty amounts based on business size and violation severity

Employers have 15 days to contest penalty determinations through administrative and judicial proceedings

Effective immediately upon becoming law and applies to all employment in North Carolina