The Fair Labor Standards Act doesn’t require you to provide employees with meal breaks. It does require you to pay employees whose meal breaks last for fewer than 30 minutes and those who work through their meal breaks. However, 40 states do have laws covering meal and rest breaks. The chart below summarizes those laws.
Note: To get the full story on break laws, contact your state labor department.
|
State |
Break/Work Requirements |
|
AK |
Minors: 30 minutes per six-hour shift; must occur after the first 30 minutes of work and before the last hour. |
|
AR |
Nursing mothers: Unpaid break to express breast milk; they may substitute paid break. |
|
CA |
30-minute meal break per five-hour shift (may be waived if shift is six hours); second 30-minute meal break per 10-hour shift (may be waived if shift is 12 hours); 10-minute rest break for every four-hour work period for some. Exceptions apply. Nursing mothe...(register to read more) |
To read the rest of this article you must first register with your email address.
