Meal and Rest Breaks – What are the Rules?

While the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) generally does not require employers to provide meal or rest breaks to employees over the age of 18, state laws may differ significantly from federal law. Under the FLSA, if an employer provides employees with short rest breaks (usually 20 minutes or less), it must pay employees for this time. However, federal law does not require employers to pay employees for meal breaks of 30 minutes or longer, as long as the employee is completely relieved of all work duties.