Restaurant operators face a growing patchwork of meal and rest break regulations that can make manual tracking difficult. With predictive scheduling laws active in Oregon and major cities like Chicago, Seattle, and New York City, and California’s meal period rules adding further requirements, compliance has become a significant operational challenge. In fiscal year 2021, the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division recovered more than $34.7 million in back wages for more than 29,000 food-service workers.