Staffing Management
Rest & Lunch Break Laws by State (2025 Update)
By Gustav Anderson
Sep. 24, 2024
Summary
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Federal law does not require meal or rest breaks. – More
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Some states have laws requiring meal and rest breaks – failing to comply can result in severe fines and even lawsuits.
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Employers can reduce their risk exposure by automatically scheduling meal breaks and accurately applying missed break premium pay with the right software. – More
When it comes to rest and lunch breaks, managers often assume that a few minutes here and there will be insignificant.
However, this is simply not the case. Over the past several years, we’ve seen break-rule violations result in costly lawsuits.
In April 2022, an Oregon healthcare facility filed a lawsuit with the federal court system to overturn the state’s detailed meal and rest break rules. The facility is attempting to avoid nearly $100 million in fines due to persistent violations of employee meal and rest break rights dating back to 2015.
What’s confusing is that if this healthcare facility was in a different state, say Arkansas, these violations and fines would not exist.
Federal guidance on the subject of lunch breaks is slim to none – but state laws concerning paid and unpaid breaks vary.
It’s important to stay up-to-date on break rules in your state, especially heading into a new year. While rest break rules can be convoluted, they are actually quite easy to comply with these days with the right payroll software and scheduling system in place.
Federal break laws
No federal law requires companies to offer breaks during work hours for meals or any other purpose.
However, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, federal law says that if a company chooses to allow break periods, any break under 20 minutes should be paid, and any over 30 minutes can be unpaid and classified as “off-the-clock.”
So, in essence, the federal government leaves it up to the employer. Rest breaks (under 20 minutes) are paid, and meal breaks (over 30 minutes) are unpaid. If a state has no laws regarding breaks, these federal standards automatically apply.
State break laws
It is up to the states to choose their own lunch and rest break laws. Some states default to the federal policy, while others have their own set of specific regulations to follow.
All meal and rest break laws only apply to non-exempt employees. For exempt employees receiving over $23,000 annually, breaks are at the employer’s discretion.
Find your state below and click on it to see its break rules heading into 2025:
Alabama
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: 14-15-year-old employees who work more than 5 continuous hours get a 30-minute break.
Alabama defaults to federal law regarding breaks for workers aged 16+. If an employer chooses to provide a break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
Alaska
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: Minors ages 14-17 who work 5+ consecutive hours get a 30-minute break.
Alaska defaults to federal law regarding breaks for workers aged 18 and over. If an employer chooses to provide a break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
Arizona
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: None
Arizona defaults to federal law regarding breaks for all workers. If an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
Arkansas
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: None
Arkansas defaults to federal law regarding breaks for workers of all ages. If an employer chooses to provide a break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than this do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
The state does have a special lactation break law. Employers must provide reasonable unpaid break time to employees who are lactating. These breaks must be taken in a private place close to their work area (not a bathroom stall).
California
Check out our in-depth breakdown of California’s employee break laws!
Meal Break:
Employees get a 30-minute paid meal break during a shift that is longer than five consecutive hours. If the employee is relieved of regular work duties and can leave the premises during their break, the break goes unpaid. But if these requirements are not met, the break must be paid at the regular rate of pay.
An employee may also waive their lunch break upon mutual consent with management if a workday will be completed in six hours or fewer.
If a work shift is longer than 10 hours, a second 30-minute rest break must be provided. If a total of 12 hours or fewer are worked in a day, this second meal break may be waived, but only if the first meal period was not waived. Employees who work longer than 15 hours get an additional third 30-minute break. If they work longer than 20 hours, they get a fourth 30-minute break.
If an employer fails to provide an employee a meal break during a shift, they owe the employee one extra hour of pay at the employee’s regular rate.
Rest Break:
Employees get a 10-minute paid rest break every 4 hours. A 10-minute break is not required for work time totaling less than three and a half hours.
Employees working in extreme weather conditions must also be provided with a five-minute “recovery period” in a protected environment in addition to their meal and rest break.
For every day an employee is forced to work through one or more of their rest breaks, their employer must pay them one additional hour of wages at the regular rate.
Minor Break: N/A
Colorado
Meal Break: 30 minutes for employees who work 5+ hours. If the break is “duty-free” it goes unpaid. However, if a “duty-free” meal is not possible, the employee may take an “on-duty” meal, in which case the employee must be paid.
Rest Break: 10 minutes paid per 4 hours worked only for employees in the retail, food and beverage, commercial support, health, and medical industries.
Minor Break: N/A
Connecticut
Meal Break: 30 minutes for non-exempt employees who work at least 7.5 hours. Employers are exempt from this requirement only if:
- Complying endangers public safety
- The duties of the position can only be done by one employee
- Fewer than five employees are working a shift in a particular location
- Operations require employees to be available to respond to urgent conditions
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: N/A
Delaware
Meal Break: Unpaid 30 minutes for employees 18+ who work at least 7.5 hours. Meal breaks must be given sometime after the first two hours of work and before the last two hours of work. Employers are exempt from this requirement only if:
- Complying endangers public safety
- The duties of the position can only be done by one employee
- Fewer than five employees are working a shift in a particular location
- Operations require employees to be available to respond to urgent conditions
- There exists a collective bargaining agreement that provides otherwise
- The employee is employed by a local school board to work directly with children
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: 30 minutes for employees under 18 for every 5 consecutive hours of work.
Florida
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: 30 minutes for employees under 18 who work more than 4 hours.
Florida defaults to federal law regarding breaks for workers aged 18 and over. If an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
Georgia
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: None
Georgia defaults to federal law regarding breaks for all workers. If an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
Hawaii
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: 30 minutes for 14 and 15-year-old employees who work five consecutive hours
Hawaii defaults to federal law regarding breaks for workers aged 16 and over. If an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
Idaho
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: None
Hawaii defaults to federal law regarding breaks for all workers. If an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
Illinois
Meal Break: At least 20 minutes unpaid for employees who work 7.5+ continuous hours. Must be given no later than five hours after beginning work.
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: At least 30 minutes for employees under 16 who work 5+ hours.
Indiana
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: 1-2 breaks totaling 30 minutes for employees under 18 who work at least six consecutive hours.
Indiana defaults to federal law regarding breaks for workers aged 18+. If an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
Iowa
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: At least 30 minutes for employees under the age of 16 who work 5+ consecutive hours.
Iowa defaults to federal law regarding breaks for workers aged 16 and over. If an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
Kansas
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: None
Kansas defaults to federal law regarding breaks for all workers. If an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
Kentucky
Meal Break: Reasonable unpaid break period (typically 20-30 minutes long) after the third and before the fifth hour of work for employees who work 5+ consecutive hours.
Rest Break: 10 minutes after every 4 hours of work.
Minor Break: N/A
Louisiana
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: At least 30 minutes unpaid for employees under 18 who work five consecutive hours
Louisiana defaults to federal law regarding breaks for workers aged 18 and over. If an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
Maine
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: At least 30 minutes unpaid for all employees who work 6+ hours, but only if there are three or more people on duty.
Minor Break: N/A
Maryland
Meal Break: None for the majority of employees. However, under the Healthy Retail Employee Act, retail organizations with 50+ staff operating for 20+ calendar weeks must give employees a 30-minute meal break if they work a shift that is longer than six hours.
Rest Break: Under the Healthy Retail Employee Act, certain retail employees are entitled to 15-minute breaks when they work shifts that last 4-6 hours. Employees who work for 8+ hours receive an additional 15-minute break for every additional four hours worked.
Minor Break: 30 minutes for employees under 18 for every five consecutive hours of work.
Massachusetts
Meal Break: 30 minutes unpaid for employees who work 6+ hours, excluding those in factory and mechanical establishments.
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: N/A
Michigan
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: At least 30 minutes for employees under 18 if they work more than 5 consecutive hours.
Michigan defaults to federal law regarding breaks for workers aged 18 and over. If an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
Minnesota
Meal Break: Sufficient unpaid time to eat a meal for employees who work 8+ hours. Must be paid if less than 20 minutes.
Rest Break: Sufficient time to use the restroom every 4 hours.
Minor Break: N/A
Mississippi
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: None
Mississippi defaults to federal law regarding breaks for all workers. If an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
Missouri
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: None
Missouri defaults to federal law regarding breaks for all workers. If an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
Montana
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: None
Montana defaults to federal law regarding breaks for all workers. If an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
Nebraska
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: At least 30 minutes per 8-hour shift for assembling plant, workshop, or mechanical establishment employees.
Minor Break: None
Nevada
Meal Break: At least 30 minutes for employees working 8+ continuous hours.
Rest Break: At least 10 minutes paid every 4 hours. This break is not typically required if an employee’s total work time is less than three and a half hours.
Minor Break: N/A
New Hampshire
Meal Break: 30 minutes for employees who work 5+ consecutive hours.
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: N/A
New Jersey
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: At least 30 minutes for employees under 18 who work 5+ hours.
New Jersey defaults to federal law regarding breaks for workers aged 18 and over. If an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
New Mexico
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: None
New Mexico defaults to federal law regarding breaks for all workers. If an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
New York
Meal Break: 30 minutes for employees who work 6+ hours between 11 am and 2 pm. 45 minutes for employees midway through a 6+ hour shift that starts between 1 pm and 6 am. An additional 20 minutes between 5 pm and 7 pm for those working a shift starting before 11 am and continuing after 7 pm.
Different rules apply to factory workers. They get a 1-hour lunch period anywhere between 11 am and 2 pm for 6+ hour shifts or a 60-minute break midway through a shift of more than 6 hours that starts between 1 pm and 6 am.
Rest Break: 24 consecutive hours per week
Minor Break: N/A
North Carolina
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: At least 30 minutes for employees under 16 who work 5+ hour shifts.
North Carolina defaults to federal law regarding breaks for workers aged 16+. If an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
North Dakota
Meal Break: 30 minutes unpaid for employees who work 5+ hours when two or more employees are on duty.
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: N/A
Ohio
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: At least 30 minutes unpaid for employees under 18 working five consecutive hours or more.
Ohio defaults to federal law regarding breaks for workers aged 18+. If an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
Oklahoma
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: At least 30 minutes for every 5 hours worked and 1 hour for every 8 hours worked for employees under 16.
Oklahoma defaults to federal law regarding breaks for workers aged 16 and over. If an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
Oregon
Meal Break: At least 30 minutes, unpaid, uninterrupted, and relieved of all duties, must be provided per 6 hours worked. No meal break is required for shifts under 6 hours.
- 6-14 hours: 1 break
- 14-22 hours: 2 breaks
- 22-24 hours: 3 breaks
Rest Break: 10 minutes paid based on hours worked.
- 2-6 hours: 1 break
- 6-10 hours: 2 breaks
- 10-14 hours: 3 breaks
- 14-18 hours: 4 breaks
- 18-22 hours: 5 breaks
- 22-24 hours: 6 breaks
Minor Break: Workers under 18 receive the same meal breaks as adults; however, it is required that they get 15-minute rest breaks rather than 10-minute breaks.
Pennsylvania
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: 30 minutes per 5 hours for workers under 18 years of age.
Pennsylvania defaults to federal law regarding breaks for workers aged 18 and over. If an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
Rhode Island
Meal Break: 20 minutes for employees who work 6 hours and 30 minutes for employees who work 8+ hours. The break may be unpaid if the employee is relieved of all duties.
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: N/A
South Carolina
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: None
South Carolina defaults to federal law regarding breaks for all workers. If an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
South Dakota
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: None
South Dakota defaults to federal law regarding breaks for all workers. If an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
Tennessee
Meal Break: At least 30 minutes for employees who work 6+ hours
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: N/A
Texas
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: None
Texas defaults to federal law regarding breaks for all workers. If an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
Utah
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: At least 30 minutes for lunch no later than 5 hours into the workday for employees under 18. They must also be given a 10-minute rest break for every 4 hours worked and cannot work 3+ consecutive hours without a 10-minute break.
Utah defaults to federal law regarding breaks for workers aged 18 and over. If an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
Vermont
Meal Break: Employees must have a “reasonable opportunity” to eat and use the restroom. This opportunity must be paid if it is less than 20 minutes.
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: N/A
Vermont has a special lactation break law requiring employers to provide reasonable break time throughout the day to employees who are lactating. It is left to the employer’s discretion whether these breaks are paid or unpaid unless denoted by a collective bargaining agreement.
Virginia
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: At least 30 minutes for employees under 16 who work 5+ consecutive hours.
Virginia defaults to federal law regarding breaks for workers aged 16 and over. If an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
Washington
Meal Break: 30 minutes for every 5 consecutive hours worked, given not less than 2 hours nor more than 5 hours from the beginning of a shift (excludes agricultural employees). 30 additional minutes for employees who work at least 3 hours past the time they normally end their shift. Unpaid if the employee is completely free of duties.
Rest Break: At least 10 minutes for every 4 hours worked.
Minor Break: 14 and 15-year-old employees must have a 30-minute meal break before working 4 consecutive hours. A 30-minute meal break is required for employees ages 16 and 17 no less than 2 hours but no more than 5 hours from the beginning of their shift.
West Virginia
Meal Break: 20 minutes for employees who work 6+ hours.
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: At least 30 minutes if scheduled to work over 5 hours.
Wisconsin
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: 30 minutes duty-free for employees under 18 working 6+ consecutive hours. 16 and 17-year-olds must have 8 hours of rest between shifts if scheduled after 8 pm.
Wisconsin defaults to federal law regarding breaks for workers aged 18+. If an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
Wyoming
Meal Break: None
Rest Break: None
Minor Break: None
Wyoming defaults to federal law regarding breaks for all workers. If an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid, as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
Meal vs. rest breaks
The main difference between a meal and a rest break is often its length. The typical meal break is 20-30 minutes and must be taken around midday, while a rest break is usually anywhere between 10-15 minutes and occurs at regular intervals throughout a shift.
As with lunch breaks, no federal labor law requires short breaks at work. Only 11 states have local laws requiring employers to offer rest periods during work hours, and these short breaks almost always come in addition to a meal break. For instance, Colorado requires a 30-minute meal break for 5+ hour shifts and a 10-minute break for every four hours of work.
Sometimes, however, it’s all just semantics.
Take Maine, for example. The Pine Tree State is the only one of these 11 states that does not have a “meal break” per see, but it does have a rest break, requiring 30 minutes for work periods of over six hours. Technically, it’s not a meal break, just a rest break, but you and I both know it’s used for lunch.
Minors and break laws
State laws typically afford minors more break leniency than adult employees. While most state meal break rules for adults automatically cover minors, some states have specific standards for those under 18. Delaware, for example, gives adults a 30-minute break for seven and a half hours worked while giving those under 18 the same break time for only five hours worked.
Some states with no adult lunch or rest break rules have unique break laws for minors. For instance, Louisiana and Michigan require employers to give 30-minute breaks to employees under 18 for shifts longer than five consecutive hours. However, In Hawaii, this same rule applies only to 14 and 15-year-olds.
Managing rest and meal breaks
If your state has specific rest break requirements, it’s essential that management understands them and takes appropriate action to uphold them. Of course, this is sometimes easier said than done.
Without the right protocols and tools, tracking breaks can be challenging, especially in complicated states like California, Oregon, and New York. Luckily, there are many ways to automate the workload.
An online employee scheduling and time tracking platform like Workforce.com helps you manage break scheduling and missed break payments, reducing your risk of expensive missed break lawsuits. Here are a few specific ways the cloud-based system helps you plan lunch breaks and calculate compensation accurately:
Auto-schedule compliant breaks
Workforce.com’s scheduling allows managers to automatically apply compliant meal and rest breaks to employee schedules according to local state laws. Employees can easily view these breaks from their phones, knowing exactly when to work and rest.
Accurately pay missed break premiums
Using classification tags designed to handle California’s complex requirements, Workforce.com’s payroll system automatically flags when an employee misses a break and applies the correct premium pay to their timesheet. This ensures you’ll never underpay a staff member for a missed break again.
Track breaks in real-time
Via a time clock app, managers can see who’s working, who’s not, and who’s on break—all in one place and in real-time. This frontline visibility helps managers respond more quickly to lunch break non-compliance.
Utilize timesheet attestations
Managers can create conditional questions that appear whenever an employee clocks out of a shift. These questions may ask things like “Did you waive your break?” or “Did you take your break?” depending on the length of the shift. Answers will automatically add all necessary premiums and allowances to timesheets, ensuring employees are always paid accurately. These answers will also create a paper trail of agreed-upon waived breaks, protecting you from potential lawsuits.
Manage break rules across state lines
Workforce.com has robust team and location functionality, letting you set up multiple locations on the platform. Break rules at each location can be configured according to local state laws, ensuring chains stay organized no matter where they are in the country.
Support staff and protect your business with better breaks
There are two key things managers can do right now to ensure their business stays on the right side of the law. One is to understand and adhere to whatever legislation applies in your state. The other is to be clear about what breaks are allowed, encourage staff to use them, and ensure they are accurately recorded.
Doing all of this manually is a huge task and prone to human error. Instead, use employee scheduling software to automate how breaks are administered. Pair it with a specialized payroll system to quickly apply correct premium payments for missed breaks, and you’ll reduce your risk exposure tremendously.
Sound intriguing? Get in touch with us today, let’s talk about it.
But getting break times right doesn’t just reduce your risk exposure – it also makes for happier employees.
Shift workers deserve their breaks. Routinely taking time during a shift to eat, rest, and recharge always helps productivity and, most importantly, mental health.
Discover five more ways to boost employee mental health by tuning in to our free webinar below:
Webinar: 5 Ways to Offer Mental Health Support for Hourly Staff
Schedule, engage, and pay your staff in one system with Workforce.com.