Law proposal in Romania: Minimum 60-minute breaks for employees working over 6 hours

The employees in Romania who are working more than six hours per day could benefit from lunch breaks of minimum 60 minutes if a draft bill already submitted to the Senate will be adopted. “In cases where the daily working time exceeds six hours, the employees are entitled to a lunch break of minimum 60 minutes after at least four consecutive hours of work, and up to six hours, as well as other recreational breaks whose duration and frequency are to be determined by collective agreement or by internal regulations,” reads the draft bill amending the Labor Code, reports local Mediafax. According to MP Andrei Valentin Sava, the project’s initiator, the employees’ efficiency drops after six hours of work, and the food is vital for reviving the organism. The MP also wants the Labor Code to be amended so that any company with more than 100 employees, as well as production businesses or those that involve working in toxic environments, regardless of the number of staff, would be required to offer their employees special places where they can take their lunches, such as canteens or special dining rooms. These places should be equipped with facilities for the storage of food, as well as equipment that employees could use to heat up their food. The employers would be responsible for the quality and safety of food sold inside the canteen, as well as the repair and replacement of equipment. One in ten Romanian employees believe they are overqualified for their jobs Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com