Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997 (Act No. 75 of 1997)

Sectoral Determinations

Sectoral Determination 13 : Farm Worker Sector, South Africa

Part D : Hours of Work

18. Meal intervals

Purchase cart Previous page Return to chapter overview Next page

 

(1)An employer must give a farm worker who works continuously for more than five hours, a meal interval of at least one continuous hour.

 

(2)During a meal interval, a farm worker may be required or permitted to perform only duties that cannot be left unattended and cannot be performed by another farm worker.

 

(3)A farm worker must be paid—
(a)for a meal interval in which the farm worker is required to be available for work; and
(b)for any portion of a meal interval that is in excess of 75 minutes, unless the farm worker lives on the farm or at the workplace.

 

(4)For the purpose of sub-clause (1), work is continuous unless it is interrupted by a meal interval in accordance with this clause.

 

(5)An agreement in writing may—
(a)reduce the meal interval to not less than 30 minutes; and
(b)dispense with a meal interval for a farm worker who works fewer than six hours on a day.

 

(6)Whenever an employer is required to give a farm worker a second meal interval because of overtime worked, that interval may be reduced to not less than 15 minutes.