Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997 (Act No. 75 of 1997)Sectoral DeterminationsSectoral Determination 7 : Domestic Worker Sector, South AfricaPart D : Hours of Work15. Meal intervals |
| (1) | An employer must give a domestic worker who works continuously for more than five hours a meal interval of at least one continuous hour. |
| (2) | During a meal interval, a domestic worker may be required or permitted to perform only duties that cannot be left unattended and cannot be performed by another domestic worker |
| (3) | A domestic worker must be paid— |
| (a) | for a meal interval in which the domestic worker is required to be available for work; |
| (b) | for any portion of a meal interval that is in excess of 75 minutes, unless the domestic worker lives 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; |
| (b) | dispense with a meal interval for a domestic worker who works fewer than six hours on a day. |
| (6) | Whenever an employer is required to give a domestic worker a second meal interval because of overtime worked, that interval may be reduced to not less than 15 minutes. |