There is a general consensus that lunch breaks are going away for the American workforce. Many professionals are giving into pressure to look busy all the time and are choosing to eat meals at their desks rather than taking leisurely lunch hours, according to USA Today.

In fact, a study by Right Management found that as of 2012, 81 percent of surveyed employees said they do not take a bona fide lunch break. Rather, 39 percent say they take a few minutes to each lunch at their desks.

This tendency might not cause problems for employers if their staff members are considered exempt as professionals, managers or executives. However, a disappearing lunch break can prove to be problematic for companies that employ nonexempt workers whose extra time and attendance can rack up overtime wages, according to an article that was recently posted in The Palm Beach Post.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not dictate that companies provide paid breaks if they provide rest periods, but it does require them to pay time-and-a-half if employees work more than 40 hours during a single workweek. If nonexempt workers are not fully relieved of job duties during their breaks, that employee attendance must be counted toward total work hours. 

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