If an employer chooses to provide a break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes. Minor Break: 14-15-year-old employees who work more than 5 continuous hours get a 30-minute break.Īlabama defaults to federal law regarding breaks for workers aged 16+. For exempt employees receiving over $23,000 annually, breaks are at the employer’s discretion.įind your state below and click on it to see its rest and lunch break rules: Some states default to the federal policy, while others have their own set of specific regulations to follow.Īll meal and rest break laws only apply to non-exempt employees. It is up to the states to choose their own lunch and rest break laws. If a state has no laws regarding breaks, these federal standards automatically apply. Rest breaks (under 20 minutes) are paid, and meal breaks (over 30 minutes) are unpaid. So, in essence, the federal government leaves it up to the employer. 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.” No federal law requires companies to offer breaks during work hours for meals or any other purpose. While these rules can be convoluted, it is actually quite easy to comply these days with the right scheduling software in place.

It’s important to understand what state-specific rules do and do not apply to your business. What’s confusing is that if this healthcare facility was in a different state, say Arkansas, these violations and fines would not exist.įederal guidance on the subject of lunch breaks is slim to none – but state laws concerning paid and unpaid breaks vary. It’s an attempt to get out of nearly $100 million in fines due to persistent violations of employee meal and rest break rights dating all the way back to 2015.

In April of 2022, an Oregon healthcare facility filed a lawsuit with the federal court system to overturn the state’s detailed meal and rest break rules. We’ve seen break rule violations result in costly lawsuits over the past several years. When it comes to rest and lunch breaks, it’s easy for managers to assume that a few minutes here and there won’t make a difference.

Employers can reduce their risk exposure by automatically scheduling meal breaks and recording them on timesheets with the right software.

Some states have laws requiring meal and rest breaks – failing to comply can result in severe fines and even lawsuits.

Federal law does not require meal or rest breaks.

Period with a lunch break crossword