I work for a Corrections Agency on 12 hr shifts. We are mandated only 1 half hour break per shift. We get no other break, often we get no break at all and must eat our meal on post in front of inmates. We are often mandated 4 extra hours onto the next shift, a total of 16 hours. On the extra 4 hours we receive no break at all. Any lawyers out there. Is this legal? I like what I do but at times I am war weary. At times we are not allowed to leave the facility until administration feels it has all posts filled.

This sounds horrible and shows a real lack of proper management and scheduling skills. However, I have deferred this question to our legal counsel to determine if it is a labor law violation.

After reviewing this issue with our Legal Staff, it is unfortunate that we are not aware of specific laws that mandate these "breaks" unless the individual employer has adopted some specific standards. For example, neither the Occupational Safety and Health Act nor the Fair Labor Standards Act requires such breaks.
Sometimes, a bargaining agent can secure contractual improvements to include breaks, etc.