Meal and Rest Break Laws by State (this information is up-to-date as of June 2024)
Are you running your own business? If so, you understand that wage and hour laws can be highly complex to manage and understand. Any mishap or item that falls through the cracks can put your business on the line.
Meal and rest break laws are especially important for business owners to know and understand. In addition to reducing their risk of penalties, businesses also benefit from having employees take regular breaks each workday. Some of these benefits include:
A higher level of engagement among your workforce
Lower stress levels among employees
Employees who are less likely to experience burnout
To help you understand the latest meal and rest break requirements and ensure you’re building an environment where your employees can flourish, continue reading as we tackle key meal and rest break laws for each state.
Also, if you’d like to simplify compliance management, take a look at Deputy’s compliance management software. Our smart tools and guardrails make it simpler for owners and managers to manage their labor law obligations, which also reduces the risk of fines and penalties.
Deputy can help you schedule the right breaks, flag breaks that are missed, record attestations, and flag timesheets when breaks are missed or when premium pay is owed.
Want to try Deputy for free? Click the link below to learn more about how Deputy can simplify meal and rest break compliance.
Click on your state to be directed to its corresponding meal & rest break laws:
Alabama meal and rest break laws
Alabama wage and hour laws generally state that employers must provide a 30-minute meal and rest period to nonexempt employees ages 14 and 15 who are scheduled to work more than 5 continuous hours.
Alabama employers are not required to provide meal periods or breaks to employees 16 years of age and over; thus, the federal rule applies.
On the other hand, if an employer chooses to do so, breaks, usually of the type lasting less than 20 minutes, must be paid. Meal or lunch periods (typically 30 minutes or more) do not need to be paid, so long as the employee is free to do as they wish during the meal or lunch period and is completely relieved of all duties.
Click here to learn more about Alabama’s laws regarding meal and rest break laws.
Alaska Meal and Rest Break Laws
Alaska wage and hour laws generally require employers to provide at least a 30-minute break to non-exempt employees ages 14-17 if they work five (5) consecutive hours, and are going to continue to work. This may be an unpaid break. The break must also occur after the first hour and a half of work but before the beginning of the last hour of work.
Alaska employers are not required to provide breaks to employees aged 18 and over. However, if an employer chooses to provide breaks for employees, and the break lasts 20 minutes or less, the employer must compensate its employees for the time on break. If an employer allows meal periods that last more than 20 minutes, the employer is not required to compensate its employees for the meal period so long as employees are completely relieved of all duties and do not perform any work.
Click here to learn more about Alaska’s laws regarding meal and rest break laws.
Arizona meal and rest break laws
Arizona doesn’t have any wage and hour laws requiring an employer to provide a meal period or breaks to employees, thus the federal rule applies.
The federal rule does not require an employer to provide either a meal period or breaks. However, if an employer chooses to do so, breaks, usually of the type lasting less than 20 minutes, must be paid.
Meal or lunch periods (usually 30 minutes or more) do not need to be paid, as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties and is free to do as they wish during the meal or lunch period.
Click here to learn more about Arizona’s meal and rest break laws.
Arkansas meal and rest break laws
Arkansas wage and hour laws do not require employers to provide meal or rest breaks to their employees unless they are children under the wage of 16 employed in the entertainment industry.
Click here to learn more about Arkansas’s meal and rest break laws.
California meal and rest break laws
California wage and hour laws generally require that employers provide nonexempt employees with a meal period of no less than 30 minutes when they work more than five consecutive hours (or more than six hours for employees in the motion picture industry in specific situations).
A second meal period is required for employees who work more than 10 hours a day. The first meal period must be provided no later than the 5th hour of work. The second meal period must be provided no later than the end of the 10th hour of work.
Unless the employee is relieved of all duties during the entire 30-minute meal period and is free to leave the employer’s premises, the meal period must be counted as hours worked and paid at the employee’s regular rate of pay.
California law only permits employers to provide an “on duty” meal period when the nature of the work prevents the employee from being relieved of all duty and when by written agreement between the employer and employee an on-the-job meal period is agreed to.
An employer must permit employees to take a 10-minute paid rest break for every 4 hours of major fraction thereof worked. A rest period is not generally required where the employee’s total daily work time is less than 3 1/2 hours.
Click here to learn more about California meal and rest break laws.
Colorado meal and rest break laws
Colorado’s meal and rest break laws require employers to give employees a 30-minute meal break after they have worked five hours. Meal breaks are unpaid if the employee had an uninterrupted, duty-free meal break.
However, if the nature of the job prevents employees from taking a break from all duties, employers are required to pay for an on-duty meal.
Covered employers include those in the retail and service, food and beverage, commercial support service, dry cleaning and housekeeping, and health and medical industries.
Employers also must provide rest breaks. Employees can take a paid ten-minute rest break for every four hours they work, ideally in the middle of the work period.
Click here to learn more about Colorado’s meals and real break laws.
Connecticut meal and rest break laws
Connecticut wage and hour laws generally require employers to provide their nonexempt employees a meal period of thirty or more minutes if they have worked for 7 1/2 or more consecutive hours. Such period shall be given at some time after the first two hours of work and before the last two hours. The Labor Commissioner will exempt an employer from this requirement if one of the following conditions is present:
complying with this requirement would endanger public safety
the duties of the position can only be performed by one employee
the employer employs fewer than 5 employees on that shift at that one location (this only applies only to employees on that particular shift); or
the employer’s operation requires that employees be available to respond to urgent conditions and that the employees are compensated for the meal period.
There are no state laws requiring an employer to provide a break. However, in accordance with federal law, if an employer chooses to do so, breaks, usually of the type lasting less than twenty minutes, must be paid.
Click here to learn more about Connecticut’s wage and hour laws.
Delaware meal and rest break laws
Delaware wage and hour laws generally require employers to grant a meal break of at least 30 consecutive minutes to nonexempt employees who work 7 1/2 or more consecutive hours. The meal break may be unpaid, except under rare circumstances. Meal breaks must be given sometime after the first two (2) hours of work and before the last two (2) hours of work. This rule does not apply when:
The employee is a professional employee certified by Delaware’s State Board of Education and employed by a local school board to work directly with children.
There is a collective bargaining agreement or other employer-employee written agreement, which provides otherwise.
The Secretary of Labor has issued rules granting exemptions when:
Compliance would adversely affect public safety
Only one employee may perform the duties of a position
An employer has fewer than five employees on a shift at one location (the exception would only apply to that shift).
Continuous nature of an employer’s operations such as chemical production or research experiments requires employees to respond to urgent or unusual conditions at all times and the employees are compensated for their meal breaks.
Where exemptions are allowed, employees must be allowed to eat meals at their workstations or other authorized locations and use restroom facilities as reasonably necessary.
Click here to learn more about Delaware’s meal and rest break laws.
District of Columbia meal and rest break laws
District of Columbia wage and hour laws do not have any meal or break requirements for employers, thus the federal rules apply. The federal rule does not require an employer to provide either a meal period or breaks.
However, if an employer chooses to do so, breaks, usually of the type lasting less than twenty minutes, must be paid. Meal or lunch periods (usually thirty minutes or more) do not need to be paid, so long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties and free to do as they wish during the meal or lunch period.
Click here to learn more about District of Columbia’s meal and rest break laws.
Florida meal and rest break laws
Florida wage and hour laws don’t require employers to offer meal or rest breaks, either paid or unpaid, to their employees. The employers can decide if their employees are able to take some break time during their work hours for lunch or rest. Their federal law, FLSA, also doesn’t require meal periods or rest breaks.
Click here to learn more about Florida’s meal and rest break laws.
Georgia meal and rest break laws
Georgia wage and hour laws do not have any laws requiring an employer to provide a meal period or breaks to nonexempt employees, thus the federal rule applies. The federal rule does not require an employer to provide either a meal period or breaks.
However, if an employer chooses to do so, breaks lasting 5-20 minutes, must be paid. Meal or lunch periods (usually 30 minutes or more) do not need to be paid, so long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties and free to do as they wish during the meal or lunch period.
Click here to learn more about Georgia’s meal and rest break laws.
Hawaii meal and rest break laws
Hawaii wage and hour laws generally require an employer to grant a meal period of at least 30 minutes to minors aged 14 or 15 years of age who work more than 5 consecutive hours. Hawaii does not have any laws requiring an employer to provide a meal period or breaks to nonexempt employees 16 years of age or older, thus the federal rule applies.
The federal rule does not require an employer to provide either a meal period or breaks. However, if an employer chooses to do so, breaks, usually of the type lasting 20 minutes or less, must be paid. Meal or lunch periods (usually 30 minutes or more) do not need to be paid, so long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties and free to do as they wish during the meal or lunch period.
Click here to learn more about Hawaii’s meal and rest break laws.
Idaho meal and rest break laws
Idaho wage and hour laws do not have any laws requiring an employer to provide a meal or rest break to employees. The federal rule does not require an employer to provide meal or rest breaks, and it does not give employees the right to take short breaks.
Click here to learn more about Idaho’s meal and break laws.
Illinois meal and rest break laws
Illinois law generally requires employers to permit nonexempt employees who work 7 1/2 or more continuous hours to take a meal period of at least 20 minutes. The meal period may be unpaid and it must be given to an employee no later than 5 hours after beginning work. Moreover, an employer must permit employees to take at least a twenty-minute meal period for each continuous 7 and a half hours they work. Different rules apply to hotel room attendants in Cook County.
Illinois employers must provide rest breaks to their employees under the One Day Rest in Seven Act (ODRISA). Employers must provide employees with breaks during the workday or at least one day of rest each week.
Click here to learn more about Illinois’ meal and break laws.
Indiana meal and rest break laws
Indiana wage and hour laws generally require employers to provide either one or two rest periods totaling thirty minutes to nonexempt minor employees under the age of eighteen if scheduled to work at least six consecutive hours.
Indiana does not have any laws requiring an employer to provide a meal period or breaks to nonexempt adult employees eighteen years of age or older, so the federal rule applies in their case. The federal rule does not require an employer to provide either a meal period or breaks.
However, if an employer chooses to do so, breaks lasting less than twenty minutes, must be paid. Meal or lunch periods (usually thirty minutes or more) do not need to be paid, so long as the employee is relieved of all duties and free to do as they wish during the meal or lunch period.
Click here to learn more about Indiana’s meal and rest break laws.
Iowa meal and rest break laws
Iowa wage and hour laws generally require employers to grant a meal period of at least thirty minutes to nonexempt minor employees under the age of sixteen who work 5 or more consecutive hours.
Iowa does not have any laws requiring an employer to provide a meal period or breaks to employees sixteen years of age or older, thus the federal rule applies. The federal rule does not require an employer to provide either a meal period or breaks. However, if an employer chooses to do so, breaks lasting less than twenty minutes must be paid. Meal or lunch periods (usually thirty minutes or more) do not need to be paid, so long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties and free to do as they wish during the meal or lunch period.
Click here to learn more about Iowa’s meal and rest break laws.
Kansas meal and rest break laws
Kansas wage and hour laws do not have any laws requiring an employer to provide a meal period or breaks to employees, so the federal rule applies in their case. The federal rule does not require an employer to provide either a meal period or breaks. However, if an employer chooses to do so, breaks lasting less than 30 minutes must be paid.
Click here to learn more about Kansas’ meal and rest break laws.
Kentucky meal and rest break laws
Kentucky wage and hour laws generally require employers to provide nonexempt employees with a rest period of at least 10 minutes for each four hours worked. The rest period is a paid break.
Employers must also generally provide a reasonable period for a meal as close to the middle of the employee’s work shift as possible. Employees can’t be required to take a meal break sooner than three hours into the shift, or later than 5 hours after the shift begins. A meal period does not have to be paid so long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties during the break.
Nonexempt minors under 18 years of age generally can’t work more than 5 hours continuously without a 30-minute meal period.
Click here to learn more about Kentucky's meal and rest break laws.
Louisiana meal and rest break laws
Only minors are required to receive meal periods after working 5 consecutive hours. There are no state laws regarding meal or rest breaks for adult employees. The federal law also doesn’t require employers to provide meal breaks.
However, if they choose to, breaks that are 20 minutes or less must be paid. Generally, meal periods do not need to be paid if employees are free to do what they want.
Click here to learn more about Louisiana's meal and rest break laws.
Maine meal and rest break laws
Maine’s wage and hour laws generally require employers to give nonexempt employees the opportunity to take an unpaid break of at least 30 consecutive minutes if the employee works more than 6 consecutive hours at a time if three or more people are on duty.
An employee and employer may negotiate for more or fewer breaks, but both must agree (this should be put in writing). According to federal law, if an employer grants a non-meal rest break (usually twenty minutes or fewer), the break must be paid.
Click here to learn more about Maine's meal and rest break laws.
Maryland meal and rest break laws
Maryland’s wage and hour laws generally require employers to provide nonexempt employees under the age of 18 who work more than 5 consecutive hours with a 30-minute break.
The Healthy Retail Employee Act requires certain employers in the retail industry with 50 or more employees to provide employees with breaks. The length of the break depends on the duration of the employee’s shift.
Click here to learn more about Maryland's meal and rest break laws.
Massachusetts meal and rest break laws
Under Massachusetts wage and hour laws, most nonexempt employees must be given a 30-minute break if they work more than 6 hours during a calendar day.
In addition, many employees must be given a day of rest after working 6 consecutive days. The day of rest is defined as 24 hours and must include the interval from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Michigan meal and rest break laws
Michigan wage and hour laws generally require that employees provide a 30-minute break to nonexempt employees who are under the age of 18 if they work more than 5 hours continuously.
Other than that, employers are not required to provide breaks to adult employees but must relieve them of duties if they choose to provide unpaid breaks.
Click here to learn more about Michigan's meal and rest break laws.
Minnesota meal and rest break laws
Minnesota wage and hour laws generally require employers to provide nonexempt employees who work 4 consecutive hours or more with bathroom breaks as well as enough time to eat a meal.
If the break is less than 20 minutes, it must be paid. Time to use the nearest restroom must be provided within every 4 consecutive hours of work. In addition, nonexempt employees who work 8 or more consecutive hours must be permitted sufficient time to eat a meal. A bona fide meal period is generally 30 minutes or more but a shorter period may be adequate under special conditions.
Click here to learn more about Minnesota's meal and rest break laws.
Mississippi meal and rest break laws
Mississippi wage and hour laws do not generally require an employer to provide a meal period or breaks to nonexempt employees, so in their case, the federal rule applies. The federal rule does not require an employer to provide either a meal period or breaks.
However, if an employer chooses to do so, breaks, usually of the type lasting less than twenty minutes, must be paid. Meal or lunch periods (usually thirty minutes or more) do not need to be paid, so long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties and free to do as they wish during the meal or lunch period.
Click here to learn more about Mississippi's meal and rest break laws.
Missouri meal and rest break laws
Missouri wage and hour laws do not generally have any rules requiring an employer to provide a meal period or breaks to nonexempt employees, so in their case, the federal rule applies. The federal rule does not require an employer to provide either a meal period or breaks.
However, if an employer chooses to do so, breaks, usually of the type lasting less than twenty minutes, must be paid. Meal or lunch periods (usually thirty minutes or more) do not need to be paid, so long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties and free to do as they wish during the meal or lunch period.
Click here to learn more about Missouri's meal and rest break laws.
Montana meal and rest break laws
Montana wage and hour laws do not generally have any rules requiring an employer to provide a meal period or breaks to nonexempt employees, so in their case, the federal rule applies. The federal rule does not require an employer to provide either a meal period or breaks.
However, if an employer chooses to do so, breaks, usually of the type lasting less than twenty minutes, must be paid. Meal or lunch periods (usually thirty minutes or more) do not need to be paid, so long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties and free to do as they wish during the meal or lunch period.
Click here to learn more about Montana's meal and rest break laws.
Nebraska meal and rest break laws
Nebraska wage and hour laws generally require employers to provide nonexempt employees in assembly plants, mechanical establishments, and workshops at least 30 consecutive minutes for lunch in each 8-hour shift.
Aside from those industries, employers are not generally required to offer any specific breaks to their employees.
Click here to learn more about Nebraska's meal and rest break laws.
Nevada meal and rest break laws
Nevada wage and hour laws generally require employers to provide nonexempt employees with at least a 30-minute meal break for every 8 hours of continuous work.
In addition, employees must be provided with at least a 10-minute rest break for every 4 hours worked or major portion thereof.
Click here to learn more about Nevada's meal and rest break laws.
New Hampshire meal and rest break laws
Under New Hampshire wage and hour laws, employers generally cannot require that an employee work more than five consecutive hours without granting a thirty-minute lunch or eating period. If the employer cannot allow thirty minutes, the employee must be paid if they are eating and working at the same time.
Employers are also required to allow employees to take at least 24 consecutive hours off from work every seven-day period.
Click here to learn more about New Hampshire's meal and rest break laws.
New Jersey meal and rest break laws
New Jersey wage and hour laws generally require that employers must provide nonexempt minor employees with at least 30 minutes of break time if they work more than 5 continuous hours.
Employers are not required to provide breaks to adult employees 18 years or older. However, if an employee chooses to provide a break longer than 20 minutes, it doesn’t need to be paid as long as the employee is free to leave the work premises and doesn’t have to do any work duties. Under federal law, breaks less than 20 minutes must be paid.
Click here to learn more about New Jersey's meal and rest break laws.
New Mexico meal and rest break laws
New Mexico wage and hour laws do not generally require employers to provide a meal or rest break to their employees, thus the federal rule applies. The federal rule does not require an employer to provide either a meal period or breaks.
However, if an employer chooses to do so, breaks, usually of the type lasting less than 20 minutes, must be paid. Meal or lunch periods (usually 30 minutes or more) do not need to be paid, so long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties and is free to do as they wish during the meal or lunch period.
Click here to learn more about New Mexico’s meal and rest break laws.
New York meal and rest break laws
New York wage and hour laws require different types of meal and rest breaks for different industries. Generally, every person employed in or in connection with a mercantile or other establishment must be allowed at least 30 minutes for the noonday meal. Employees who work a shift of more than 6 hours extending over the noonday meal period (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) are entitled to at least 30 minutes off within the noonday meal period.
An employee whose shift begins before 11 a.m. and continues until after 7 p.m. must be allowed an additional meal period of at least 20 minutes between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Every person employed for a period or shift of more than 6 hours, starting between 1 p.m. and 6 a.m., must be allowed at least a 45-minute meal period, taken midway between the beginning and end of the shift.
Different rules may apply to factory employees and home health attendants.
In certain situations, the New York Department of Labor may permit shorter breaks. This will be in writing and must be posted at the main entrance of the workplace.
Rest breaks are not generally required for employers in the state of New York.
Click here to learn more about New York's meal and rest break laws.
North Carolina meal and rest break laws
North Carolina wage and hour laws generally require that nonexempt minors 14 and 15 years of age be given at least a 30-minute meal break if they work more than 5 consecutive hours. Aside from that, there are no other required rest or meal breaks that are generally required by North Carolina.
Click here to learn more about North Carolina's meal and rest break laws.
North Dakota meal and rest break laws
North Dakota wage and hour laws generally require employers to provide nonexempt employees who work a shift exceeding 5 hours with a 30-minute meal break when there are two or more employees on duty.
The meal period may be unpaid if it is at least 30 minutes and the employee is completely relieved of all duties. An employer is generally not required to provide any other breaks. However, if they do, the breaks must be paid if they are less than thirty minutes.
Retail employers are also required to allow employees to take at least 24 consecutive hours off from work every seven-day period.
Ohio meal and rest break laws
Employees who are nonexempt minors must be given a 30-minute break if they work more than 5 consecutive hours. This break is unpaid. Ohio does not have any additional required rest or meal breaks.
Click here to learn more about Ohio's meal and rest break laws.
Oklahoma meal and rest break laws
Oklahoma wage and hour laws generally require employers to provide nonexempt minors 14 and 15 years of age a 1- hour break for every 8 hours worked or 30-minute rest period if they work more than 5 consecutive hours.
Moreover, employers must provide nonexempt employees under sixteen years of age a one-hour cumulative rest period for each eight consecutive hours worked.
Oklahoma doesn’t have any generally applicable laws requiring an employer to provide a meal period or breaks to employees who are sixteen years of age or older, so the federal rule applies in this circumstance.
Federal law does not require employers to provide meal periods of breaks. If they do, they must be paid for 20 minutes.
Click here to learn more about Oklahoma's meal and rest break laws.
Oregon meal and rest break laws
Oregon wage and hour laws generally require employers to provide nonexempt employees with at least a 30-minute unpaid meal period for each work period between 6 and 8 hours. The break must be an uninterrupted period in which the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
No meal period is required if the work period is less than six hours. If the work period is seven hours or less, the meal period is to be taken between the second and fifth hour worked. If the work period is more than seven hours, the meal period is to be taken between the third and sixth hour worked. Tipped employees may waive meal breaks if certain conditions are met. A second meal break is required for shifts of 14 hours or longer.
Oregon employers must also give non exempt employees that are 18 years of age or older with a paid, uninterrupted 10-minute rest break for every four hours worked or major portion thereof (2 ½ hours). The rest period must be provided approximately in the middle of each 4 hour work period. Minors must be provided with 15-minute rest breaks, rather than 10.
Click here to learn more about Oregon's meal and rest break laws.
Pennsylvania meal and rest break laws
Pennsylvania wage and hour laws generally require employers to provide a 30-minute break period to nonexempt minors who work more than 5 consecutive hours.
Also, Pennsylvania doesn’t generally require employers to give breaks to nonexempt employees aged eighteen or over. If an employer does choose to offer employees a break and it lasts less than 20 minutes then it must be paid.
Click here to learn more about Pennsylvania's meal and rest break laws.
Rhode Island meal and rest break laws
Rhode Island wage and hour laws require that most nonexempt employees be given at least a 20-minute meal break during a 6-hour shift.
Employees who work 8 hours or more must be given at least a 30-minute meal break. However, the meal breaks may be unpaid if employees are completely relieved of all duties.
Click here to learn more about Rhode Island's meal and rest break laws.
South Carolina meal and rest break laws
South Carolina wage and hour laws do not generally require an employer to provide a meal period or rest breaks to employees, so the federal rule applies in their case. The federal rule does not require an employer to provide either a meal period or breaks.
However, if an employer chooses to do so, breaks, usually of the type lasting less than 20 minutes, must be paid. Meal or lunch periods (usually 30 minutes or more) do not need to be paid, so long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties and is free to do as they wish during the meal or lunch period.
Click here to learn more about South Carolina's meal and rest break laws.
South Dakota meal and rest break laws
South Dakota wage and hour laws do not generally require an employer to provide a meal period or rest breaks to non-exempt employees, so the federal rule applies in their case. The federal rule does not require an employer to provide either a meal period or breaks.
However, if an employer chooses to do so, breaks, usually of the type lasting less than 20 minutes, must be paid. Meal or lunch periods (usually 30 minutes or more) do not need to be paid, so long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties and free to do as they wish during the meal or lunch period.
Click here to learn more about South Dakota's meal and rest break laws.
Tennessee meal and rest break laws
Tennessee wage and hour laws generally require employers to provide nonexempt employees who work six consecutive hours with a 30-minute unpaid break, except in workplace environments where the nature of the business provides for ample opportunity to rest or take an appropriate break.
The break must not be scheduled during or before the first hour of scheduled work. The law also requires minors to have a 30-minute unpaid break or meal period if they are scheduled to work 6 consecutive hours. If the employee chooses to provide additional breaks, they must be paid if they last less than 20 minutes.
Click here to learn more about Tennessee's meal and rest break laws.
Texas meal and rest break laws
Texas wage and hour laws do not generally require an employer to provide a meal period or breaks to employees, thus the federal rule applies.
The federal rule does not require an employer to provide either a meal period or breaks. However, if an employer chooses to do so, breaks, usually of the type lasting less than 20 minutes, must be paid.
Meal or lunch periods (usually 30 minutes or more) do not need to be paid, so long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties and free to do as they wish during the meal or lunch period.
Click here to learn more about Texas' meal and rest break laws.
Utah meal and rest break laws
Utah wage and hour laws generally require employers to provide a meal period of not less than thirty minutes to nonexempt employees under the age of eighteen. The meal period must occur no later than 5 hours after the workday begins.
Employers must also generally provide a rest break of at least ten minutes to nonexempt employees under the age of eighteen for every 4 hours worked (or major fraction thereof). A minor cannot be required to work more than 3 consecutive hours without a 10-mintue rest period.
Utah does not generally require employers to provide breaks, including lunch breaks, for workers eighteen years old or older. An employer who chooses to provide a break in excess of twenty minutes does not have to pay wages for lunch periods or other breaks if the employee is free to leave the worksite, in fact takes their lunch or break, and the employee does not actually perform work. According to federal law, breaks twenty minutes or shorter typically must be paid.
Click here to learn more about Utah’'s meal and rest break laws.
Vermont meal and rest break laws
Under Vermont wage and hour laws, an employer must generally provide its employees with “reasonable opportunity” to eat and use toilet facilities to protect the employees' health and hygiene.
Other than that, the federal rules apply. The federal rules do not require an employer to provide either a meal period or breaks.
However, if an employer chooses to do so, breaks, usually of the type lasting less than 20 minutes, must be paid. Meal or lunch periods (usually 30 minutes or more) do not need to be paid, so long as the employee is free to do as they wish during the meal or lunch period.
Click here to learn more about Vermont's meal and rest break laws.
Virginia meal and rest break laws
Virginia wage and hour laws generally require employers to provide a lunch period of at least thirty minutes to nonexempt minors fourteen and fifteen years of age when scheduled to work for more than five hours continuously. Virginia does not generally require employers to provide breaks, including lunch breaks, for workers sixteen years old or older.
An employer who chooses to provide a break in excess of twenty minutes does not have to pay wages for lunch periods or other breaks if the employee is free to leave the worksite, takes their lunch or break, and the employee does not actually perform work. According to federal law, breaks twenty minutes or shorter usually must be paid.
Click here to learn more about Virginia's meal and rest break laws.
Washington meal and rest break laws
Washington wage and hour laws generally require employers to provide nonexempt employees a paid rest break of at least 10 minutes for every four hours worked. The rest period must be scheduled as near as possible to the middle of the work period. An employee cannot be required to work more than 3 hours without a rest period.
Employers must also generally provide at least a thirty-minute meal period if a nonexempt employee works more than five hours in a shift. Employees must be at least two hours into the shift before the meal time can start and the meal time cannot start more than five hours after the beginning of the shift. Employers are not required to pay for meal periods if workers are free from all duties for their entire meal period. Workers must be paid during their meal break when:
They are required or allowed to remain on duty
They are required to be on-call at the business premises or designated worksite to be available to return to duty even if
They are not in fact called back to duty
They are called back to duty during their meal period even though they normally are not on call during the meal period
The Washington Department of Labor and Industries permits employees to waive meal period requirements voluntarily. Different rules apply to nonexempt minor employees.
Click here to learn more about Washington's meal and rest break laws.
West Virginia meal and rest break laws
Under West Virginia wage and hour laws, in situations where employees are not afforded necessary breaks and/or permitted to eat while working, employers must provide their nonexempt employees who work 6 or more hours a meal break of at least 20 minutes at times reasonably designated by the employer.
Other rest periods, granted at the discretion of the employer, must be paid if they last less than twenty minutes. Employers must provide nonexempt minor employees who work more than 5 hours continuously with a lunch period of at least thirty minutes if scheduled to work more than five hours.
Click here to learn more about West Virginia's meal and rest break laws.
Wisconsin meal and rest break laws
Employers are not required to provide rest or meal breaks to adult employees. However, if a break is less than 30 minutes, it must be paid.
Minors must be given a 30-minute break free of duties during a meal period when they work more than 6 consecutive hours. Minors also must have 8 hours of rest between shifts if they are employed after 8 p.m.
Click here to learn more about Wisconsin's meal and rest break laws.
Wyoming meal and rest break laws
Wyoming wage and hour laws do not generally require an employer to provide a rest or meal break to nonexempt employees, so in this case the federal rule applies. The federal rule does not require an employer to provide either a meal period or breaks.
However, if an employer chooses to do so, breaks usually lasting less than twenty minutes, must be paid. Meal or lunch periods (usually thirty minutes or more) do not need to be paid, as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties and is free to do as they wish during the meal or lunch period.
Click here to learn more about Wyoming's meal and rest break laws.
Simplify compliance management
Each state has its unique regulations when it comes to meal and rest break laws. Sometimes, these can differ by age or industry. Make sure you’re in tune with the latest to meet legal obligations and reduce your chances of financial penalties.
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