The proper response isn’t to quit, It to send a response that says that the law requires a break, and you intend to follow the law, even if my supervisor demands that I break the law. I will not follow an illegal directive.

I’m the future, I will take all legal breaks, for their full amount of time.

Further, I will be saving this email as evidence, in case of any future lawsuits by any employees. Any future discussion of this subject will be shared with the state department of labor.

And I would copy HR.

They’d just find a bullshit reason to let you go, then break more laws sharing disallowed details about your employment.

Sadly, in the US at least, the regulatory capture is complete. Any company acting like this (blatantly breaking labor laws and ignoring worker rights) knows they’ll pay less than the cost of keeping the water cooler full in the off chance the labor board sends them more than a mildly worded letter.

I’m not so sure. With that letter, and your response, its going to be hard for them to claim that your firing wasn’t retaliatory.