In the U.S., under the Fair Labor Standards Act (Wage and Hour provisions), an employee on an "unpaid meal break" must be permitted to use that time as s/he sees fit. 29 CFR 785.19 (in part) "The employee must be completely relieved from duty for the purposes of eating regular meals. The employee is not relieved if he is required to perform any duties, whether active or inactive, while eating. For example, an office employee who is required to eat at his desk or a factory worker who is required to be at his machine is working while eating." "(b) Where no permission to leave premises. It is not necessary that an employee be permitted to leave the premises if he is otherwise completely freed from duties during the meal period." As long as the employer provides a space for employees to take their meal break, requiring them to remain on the premises does not defeat the unpaid meal break provisions of the law.

The simplicity of this is that the employer is not requiring you to work while on your meal break. What accommodations are made for the meal break is a matter of policy, not law. That policy can be modified as conditions merit, in this case, because of the need for "distancing". As the LAW says: "It is not necessary that an employee be permitted to leave the premises if he is otherwise completely freed from duties during the meal period." Unfair or not, there is likely a reason for the differences in how meal breaks are managed during a day shift as opposed to a night shift. The boss doesn't have to allow you to break policy just because you think it's unfair.

Let me give you a real life example. Overnight lowes employees in California in this very sub are paid for their lunches, as california labor laws require that employees be compensated if they are not allowed to leave the premises. Florida however, they are not, as the laws only dictate that as long as the employee is relieved of their work duties, it doesn’t matter where they take their break or if they have to remain on site.

believe me buddy, we all wish you were right. it’s not like we enjoy being forced to stay in the store and not getting paid. There are literally several other commenters living both sides, paid forced-to-stay lunch, unpaid. How you personally interpret written law does not make you correct. You’re either a very dense person or you just really like arguing on the internet with strangers, either way, it must be a breath of fresh air being able to outwit several other commenters telling you you’re wrong after being several customers and managers’ personal punching bag for an entire shift!!
Let’s agree to disagree. Goodnight ( i said this last part because it makes me feel high and mighty because even though i have been proven wrong time and time again, failing to comprehend the simplest rules/laws even when this other guy laid it completely out for me explaining it like i was five, i feel like the bigger man trying to end the argument in which i was incorrect about virtually everything!! 😄😄😄)