I'm a public school teacher in North Carolina. Our school can't always get substitute teachers so regular teachers are required to give up their planning period to cover for those teachers. In return they get bank time/hours.

We are given less than 10 minutes for lunch. On days when we have to cover for another class, that means that we will be working from 7:45 - 3:30 with only a ten minute break for lunch.

Surely this can't be legal?

Thank you.

North Carolina has no law requiring meal breaks. In the absence of a state law requiring breaks, your employer's practice is legal.

Au contraire, mon amie! North Carolina General Statute 115C-105.27(6) appears to mandate a "duty-free lunch period" for teachers in the public schools. Subsection (7) mandates 5 hours per week of duty-free planning periods in addition to the lunch period. Not sure if this statute applies to every school, as it talks about "improvement plans." Of course, none of our schools in NC are so good that they don't need "improvement plans."

The OP should investigate this further. Her school may not be in compliance.

Just another difference between private and public employment.