Court of Appeal Holds That Prospective Meal Break Waivers Are Generally Enforceable

By Michael Mandel  |  April 24, 2025

On April 21, 2025, the California Court of Appeal (Second District) held that, as a matter of first impression, prospective written waivers of meal breaks for shifts between five and six hours are enforceable. The Court allowed that such waivers might not be enforceable if employees signed them unknowingly, if employees were coerced into signing them, if employees could not freely revoke the waivers at any time, or the waivers were otherwise “unconscionable.” But because the plaintiffs in this case did not make any such allegations, the Court affirmed the trial court’s ruling that the prospective waivers at issue are enforceable.

The case is Bradsbery v. Vicar Operating, Inc. and the full opinion is available here.