Legal Definitions - lunch-hour rule

The lunch-hour rule is a legal principle that generally protects an employer from liability for injuries that occur during an employee's designated lunch break. This rule applies when the employee is off the employer's property and is not engaged in any work-related duties at the time of the incident. This means the employer is typically not held responsible if an employee is injured, or causes an injury to someone else, while they are off-site and on their own time for lunch.

Here are some examples to illustrate the lunch-hour rule:

• Example 1: Injury to an employee
  Sarah, a marketing associate, leaves her office building to grab a sandwich from a deli two blocks away. While crossing the street to return to work, she slips on a patch of ice and breaks her ankle. Because Sarah was on her unpaid lunch break, off her employer's premises, and not performing any work-related tasks when the accident occurred, her employer would likely not be responsible for her injury under the lunch-hour rule.

• Example 2: Injury caused by an employee
  David, a software engineer, decides to eat his lunch at a nearby food truck park. While waiting for his order, he accidentally bumps into another patron, causing them to spill hot soup on themselves and suffer a minor burn. The lunch-hour rule would apply here because David was on his personal lunch break, away from his workplace, and not engaged in any job duties when the incident happened. Therefore, his employer would generally not be held liable for the injury David accidentally caused to the other patron.