Break Types

Break types define the categories of breaks that technicians can take during their workday — such as lunch, rest breaks, or custom break categories. Each break type has a default length and a paid or unpaid setting that controls how break time is calculated in payroll.

Who Can Access This

Role	Access Level
Administrator	Full access — create, edit, deactivate

note

If you don't see this feature, your role may not have permission. Contact your administrator.

How to Access Break Types

1. Click Settings in the main navigation
2. Select the Break Types tab

You will see a table listing all configured break types for your company.

Default Break Types

MaidCentral Pulse comes with three default break types:

Break Type	Default Length	Payment Type
Lunch	30 minutes	Unpaid
Rest Break	15 minutes	Paid
Other	15 minutes	Configurable

You can edit these defaults or create additional break types to match your company's policies.

Creating a Break Type

1. Click Add Break Type
2. Fill in the fields:
   • Name — A descriptive label (for example, "15-Minute Break" or "Extended Lunch")
   • Length — The default duration in minutes. This is used as a suggestion when technicians or office staff record a break — the actual break time can still differ.
   • Type — Choose Paid or Unpaid. This determines whether the break time counts toward or is deducted from total payable hours.
   • Description — Optional notes about when this break type should be used
3. Click Save

The new break type is immediately available for technicians and office staff when recording breaks.

Editing a Break Type

1. Click on a break type in the table
2. Update any fields (name, length, type, or description)
3. Click Save

Changes apply to new break entries going forward. Existing break records are not affected.

Deactivating a Break Type

If a break type is no longer needed, you can deactivate it instead of deleting it:

1. Find the break type in the table
2. Toggle the Active switch to off

Inactive break types are hidden from the technician portal and are not available when creating new break entries. Existing break records that used the deactivated type are preserved.

tip

Deactivating is preferred over deleting. It keeps your historical data intact while removing the option from future use.

How Break Types Affect Payroll

The Paid or Unpaid setting on each break type directly affects payroll calculations:

• Unpaid breaks — Break duration is subtracted from total shift hours. For example, an 8-hour day with a 30-minute unpaid lunch results in 7.5 payable hours.
• Paid breaks — Break duration is included in total shift hours. A 15-minute paid rest break does not reduce the payable amount.

Make sure your break types are configured correctly before running payroll. If a break type is misconfigured (for example, lunch set to "Paid" when it should be "Unpaid"), payroll totals will be inaccurate.

Tips and Best Practices

• Match your company policy. Configure break types to reflect your actual break rules — typical setups have lunch as unpaid and short rest breaks as paid.
• Check local labor laws. Some jurisdictions require paid rest breaks or specific break lengths. Configure your types accordingly.
• Use descriptive names. "30-Minute Lunch" is clearer than "Break 1" for technicians selecting from the list.
• Set accurate default lengths. The configured length is used as a suggestion when recording breaks. Accurate defaults speed up data entry.
• Deactivate instead of deleting when retiring a break type. This preserves historical records for payroll audits.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Break type not showing for technicians	Check that the break type is set to Active. Inactive types are hidden from the technician portal.
Payroll hours seem wrong	Verify the Paid/Unpaid setting on your break types. An incorrect setting can add or subtract hours unexpectedly.
Can't find the Break Types tab	Your role may not have settings access. Only administrators can manage break types.
Need to change a break type but worried about history	Edit the break type freely — changes only affect new entries. Existing break records keep their original values.

Related Articles

• Breaks — How break entries work in time tracking
• Day Clocks — How day clocks track shift start and end times
• Payroll Options — Configure pay periods, overtime rules, and wage rates
• Settings Overview — General guide to the Settings workspace