Cal. Court of Appeal Affirms Validity of Prospective Meal Break Waivers

On April 21, 2025, the California Court of Appeal upheld the use of prospective written meal period waivers in a case involving Vicar Operating, Inc. The court ruled that such waivers are valid as long as they are voluntarily signed by employees and revocable without coercion. Plaintiffs argued that these waivers violate the intent of California's meal period laws, which is to protect employee rights. However, the court found that the waivers were consistent with statutory language and did not diminish employee protections.

"The appellate court found the waivers to be both revocable and voluntary, with no evidence of coercion or unfair bargaining power, affirming the validity of such waivers."

"The plaintiffs claimed that the meal period provisions do not allow for prospective waivers, arguing this would undercut employee protections embedded in California's Labor Code."

Read at Callaborlaw