Automatic break rules let you define tiered break durations that are automatically applied based on actual worked hours. Instead of manually setting breaks for each shift, the system calculates them automatically based on your defined tiers.
How It Works
You define tiers that specify how many break minutes are allocated based on the number of hours worked. When an employee finishes a shift (clocks out, manager confirms hours, or the system auto-clocks out), the system checks the actual worked time and applies the matching tier.
Example: standard 3-tier configuration
Hours worked | Paid break | Unpaid break |
0–4 hrs | 0 min | 0 min |
4–9 hrs | 0 min | 30 min |
9+ hrs | 0 min | 60 min |
With this configuration:
Employee who worked 3 hours → no break
Employee who worked 6 hours → 30 min unpaid break
Employee who worked 10 hours → 60 min unpaid break
Boundary behaviour
The lower bound is inclusive, the upper bound is exclusive. This means an employee who worked exactly 4 hours falls into the 4–9 hrs tier (gets a 30 min break), not the 0–4 hrs tier.
Enabling
To use automatic break rules, you need to enable three settings:
Track Breaks — enable break tracking for all shifts
Auto Deduct Scheduled Breaks — allow the system to automatically deduct breaks
Enable Automatic Break Rules — activate the tiered system
Go to Schedule → Settings → Breaks to find these settings.
Creating Tiers
Go to Schedule → Settings → Breaks
Enable Automatic Break Rules
Click Add Tier
Set for each tier:
Min. Worked (hrs) — minimum worked hours threshold (inclusive)
Max. Worked (hrs) — maximum worked hours threshold (exclusive). Leave empty for the last tier ("No limit")
Paid Break (min) — paid break minutes (count as working time)
Unpaid Break (min) — unpaid break minutes (deducted from working time)
Add as many tiers as needed and click Save Settings.
Paid vs unpaid breaks
Paid break — time that counts as working time for payroll purposes. The employee is compensated for this time.
Unpaid break — time that is deducted from total worked hours. The employee is not compensated for this time.
Example: an employee worked 8 hours with 15 min paid and 30 min unpaid break → billable hours = 8 − 0.5 = 7.5 hrs (paid break does not reduce working time).
Zone Overrides
If your organisation uses zones, you can set separate break rules for each zone. Zone rules completely replace organisation-level rules — it is an all-or-nothing override.
Hierarchy
The system applies rules in the following priority order:
Zone rules — if the zone has rules defined, only those are used
Organisation rules — if the zone has no rules, organisation rules are used
Setting up zone rules
In the Zone Overrides section, select a zone from the dropdown
Click Add Tier to create zone-specific tiers
Configure tiers the same way as at the organisation level
Click Save Settings
To remove a zone override, click Clear Override — the zone will inherit the organisation rules again.
Role Exclusions
You can exclude specific job roles from automatic break rules. Shifts assigned to excluded roles will use the static break values set on the shift instead of automatic rules.
Enable Automatic Break Rules
In the Excluded Roles section, click the dropdown
Select the roles you want to exclude
This is useful when certain roles (e.g. managers, head chefs) have individual break arrangements that differ from the standard rules.
When Rules Are Applied
Automatic break rules are applied in these situations:
Employee clocks out via mobile app or tracking device
Manager confirms hours manually
Manager force-clocks out an employee
System auto-clocks out an employee
Priority order
Manually specified breaks — if a manager or employee manually specifies break duration, it is used
Automatic rules — if nothing is specified manually and rules are enabled, the system applies tiered rules
Shift static values — if no rules are found or not enabled, the break values set on the shift are used
Working Time Calculation
Unpaid break is deducted from total worked time:
Actual working hours = Total worked time − Unpaid break minutes
Paid break does not reduce working time — it counts as working time for payroll purposes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have different rules for different zones?
Yes. Each zone can have its own set of tiers that completely replaces the organisation rules.
What happens if I don't define any tiers?
If automatic rules are enabled but no tiers exist, the system will use the static break values set on the shift.
Are rules applied retroactively?
No. Rules are only applied to new clock-out/confirmation events. Already recorded shifts are not recalculated.
Why aren't automatic rules being applied to my employee?
Check:
All three settings are enabled (Track Breaks, Auto Deduct, Automatic Rules)
The employee's role is not in the excluded roles list
A tier exists that matches the number of hours worked
What is the break source (breakSource)?
Each shift's metadata stores the source indicating how the break was determined: auto_break_rules (automatic rules), manual_override (manually specified), or shift_schedule (shift static values).