#TIME TO TAKE A BREAK PLUS#

is allowed at least 60 minutes for a meal period when employed in or in connection with a factory 45 minutes for a retail establishment.Įmployees under 16 who work shifts of 5+ hoursĮmployees under 18 for every 5 hours workedĮmployees for every 4 hours or greater part of 4 hours (beginning at 2 hours 1 minute) workedĪt least 10 minutes for each rest break for adults At least 15 minutes for each rest break for employees under 18 At least 30 minutes Every person employed more than 6 hours starting between the hours of 1 p.m. is entitled to an additional meal period of at least 20 minutes between 5 p.m. Meal breaks of 30+ minutes can be unpaid.Įvery person employed or in connection with a factory is allowed at least 60 minutes for lunch.Įvery person employed or in connection with a retail or other establishment or occupation is allowed at least 30 minutes for the noonday meal.Īn employee who works a shift of more than 6 hours is entitled to at least 30 minutes off during that time every person employed for a period or shift starting before 11 a.m. If employers permit, rest breaks under 20 minutes must be paid.

#TIME TO TAKE A BREAK PLUS#

Meal break after 5.5 hours of work plus a 15-minute rest break for every 2 hours of workĮmployees of an assembling plant, workshop or mechanical establishmentĪt least a 10 consecutive minute rest break every 4 hoursĮmployees are not entitled to meal or rest breaks. Must be enough time to use the nearest restroom †15 minutes for every additional 4 working hours Non-exempt employees under 18 who work 5 consecutive hours Non-exempt employees 18+ who work 5+ hours If the meal break is under 30 minutes, the employer must pay the employee Non-exempt employees under 18 who work at least 4 hoursġ4- and 15-year-old employees who work 5 consecutive hours Non-exempt employees who work at least 7.5 hoursĮmployees 18+ who work at least 7.5 hoursĮmployees under 18 scheduled to work 5 hours Rest: At least 10 consecutive minutes Note: California law does not permit rounding up time punch entries for meal breaks.Įmployees covered by Colorado’s Minimum Wage Order who work 5+ hours (For more details, read our guide to C a lifornia Compliance)Įmployees who work for 3.5 hours or more get one paid rest break for every 4-hour period worked A second meal period is required after 10 hours but may be waived if workday isn’t longer than 12 hours and first meal period isn’t waived. *Does not apply if the workday is only 6 hours or if waived by mutual consent. Non-exempt employees who work more than 5 hours a day They also must have at least a 10-hour break between work days Under 18 scheduled to work for 5 consecutive hours without a break Stateġ4- and 15-year-old employees who work more than 5 consecutive hours Check states’ laws for additional provisions and exemptions.

Watch out, though: Some states’ laws apply only to employees who are minors. To help employers, we’ve created a chart and table explaining meal break laws at work for every state. For example, depending on the particular collective bargaining agreement, an employee might take a 30-minute unpaid lunch break and two paid 10-minute breaks during an 8-hour shift. To add to the complexity around the legality of mandatory rest and meal breaks, union collective bargaining agreements can also provide for breaks even in states that don’t require them.

It’s a shorter break that lasts 20 minutes or less.

The employee works through a break time (e.g., if they eat while working).

The federal law dictates that if an employee gets meal or rest breaks, the company does not have to pay them for that time unless: Like many other federal laws in the human resources space, some states have stepped in to bridge the gap. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the law that governs wages and hours, does not mandate that employers provide meal or rest breaks to employees. But did you know that breaks aren’t required by law? Federal law, anyway. Most employers provide their employees with a paid or unpaid lunch break and some provide additional rest break periods. Lunch Breaks Aren’t Always a Requirement for Employers

Time to take a break