In California, employers have been challenged for years in dealing with how to comply with cumbersome and vague meal and rest period rules. Millions of dollars have been spent to battle and/or settle countless individual lawsuits and class actions alleging meal and rest period violations. Last week the California Supreme Court issued its long-awaited decision in Brinker Restaurant Group v. Superior Court of San Diego answering these questions including:

What does it mean to "provide" a meal period?
Do meal periods have to be provided in rolling five-hour increments?
Are early (or late) lunches allowed?
Must employers ensure that their employees actually take these mandated breaks?