Set up breaks
About breaks
With Square Shifts Free, you can manage your team members’ breaks, including break tracking and settings.
With Square Shifts Plus, you can adjust your break settings and block team members from ending breaks early.
Before you begin
Before you set up breaks, make sure you have created and published a team schedule, set up timecards for team members, and set up your work period and overtime rules. Learn how to Set up team schedules , Set up time tracking and Set your work period and overtime rules.
Add a break
You can set up break tracking through your Square Dashboard. Upon account creation, meal and rest breaks are set up based on your business location.
Sign in to Square Dashboard and go to Staff > Settings > Square Dashboard.
Select Add new break to add your first break.
Add a name and duration, and select the compensation setting (paid or unpaid) for the break.
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If desired, you can make the break mandatory by toggling on Mandatory break. Choose one of the following options to configure when a team member is eligible for a mandatory break:
Multiple times per shift, team members earn a break after working a set number of hours.
Once per shift, team members earn a break if their shift is long enough.
Select Save to confirm the break settings.
A missed mandatory break creates a Missed break alert on the timecard at clock out.
Block ending breaks early
To stay compliant with local labour regulations requiring employee breaks, Square Shifts Plus allows you to prevent team members from ending their breaks early.
Sign in to Square Dashboard and go to Staff > Settings > Square Dashboard.
Toggle on Block Ending Breaks Early.
If applicable, enter a time under Allow Within and toggle on Only This Location or All Locations.
Select Save.