Employees working during lunch break: Are they allowed to leave early in the afternoon?

Article 109 of the 2019 Labor Code stipulates rest periods during working hours as follows:

1. Employees who work six hours or more per day according to working hours stipulated in Article 105 of this Code are entitled to a continuous rest period of at least 30 minutes. If working at night, the rest period must be at least 45 continuous minutes.

In cases where employees work shifts continuously for six hours or more, the rest period is considered working time.

2. In addition to the rest time stipulated in Clause 1 of this Article, employers must arrange additional breaks for employees and record them in the labor regulations.

According to this regulation and the information you provided, the company has arranged for employees to have a one-hour lunch break, which complies with the law.

It is clear that working during lunch break is voluntary, not enforced by the company. Moreover, the 2019 Labor Code does not stipulate that employees who voluntarily work during lunch breaks are entitled to leave early.

Therefore, in your case, voluntarily working during the lunch break does not entitle you to leave early in the afternoon.

Respectfully!