Meal & Rest Break Requirements

*In New York and Massachusetts, Meal Periods must also be provided for employees in exempt positions.

State	Meal Requirement Summary	Rest Requirement Summary
CA	Employees working more than 5 hours per day must be provided with an uninterrupted, duty-free meal period that lasts at least 30 minutes. This meal period should begin no later than the fifth hour of work.Employees working more than 10 hours per day must be provided with a second uninterrupted, duty- free meal period that lasts at least 30 minutes. This second meal period should begin no later than the tenth hour of work.Both meal periods are unpaid.	Employees must be provided with a 10-minute paid rest period for every shift which lasts 3 ½ hours up to 6 hours, a second 10-minute rest period for every shift which lasts more than 6 hours up to 10 hours, a third 10-minute rest period for a shift which lasts more than 10 hours up to 14 hours, and so on for every 4 hours or major fraction thereof.Rest periods are paid.
CO	Employees working more than 5 hours per day are required to take an uninterrupted, duty-free 30-minute meal period.When the workday will be completed in 6 hours, or less, no meal period is required.Meal periods are unpaid.	For every four hours worked, or major fraction thereof, employees are required to take a 10- minute rest period.Rest periods are paid.
CT	Employees working at least 7 ½ hours are required to take an uninterrupted, duty-free 30- minute meal period.The meal period must be taken no earlier than the completion of 2 hours of work but no later than beginning the last 2 hours of work.Meal periods are unpaid.	N/A
DE	Employees working at least 7 ½ hours are required to take an uninterrupted, duty-free 30-minute meal period.The meal period must be taken no earlier than the completion of 2 hours of work but no later than beginning the last 2 hours of work.Meal periods are unpaid.	N/A
IL	Employees working at least 7 ½ hours are required to take an uninterrupted, duty-free20-minute meal period.The meal period must be taken no later than the completion of 5 hours of work.Meal periods are unpaid.	N/A
KY	Employees are required to take an uninterrupted, duty-free meal period of a reasonable duration.Meal period must be no earlier than the completion of 3 work hours, but no later than the completion of 5 hours of work, and be as close as possible to the middle of the employee’s work shift.Meal periods are unpaid.	For every four hours worked, employees are required to take a 10-minute rest period.Rest periods are paid.
MA*	Employees are required to take an uninterrupted, duty-free 30-minute meal period no later than the completion of the 6 hour of work.Meal periods are unpaid.	N/A
MD	Effective 3/1/11, non-exempt employees assigned to a retail locationwith 50+ employees are required to take a duty-free, 30- minute meal period after six or more consecutive hours worked.	For every four to six consecutive hours worked, employees are required to take a 15-minute rest period.For every eight or more consecutive hours worked, employees are required to take at least 15 minutes for every four consecutive hours.
ME	Employees working at least 6 hours are required to take an uninterrupted, duty-free 30-minute meal period no later than the completion of the 6th hour of work.Meal periods are unpaid.	N/A
N	Employees working at least 8 hours are required to take an uninterrupted, duty-free30-minute meal period.Meal periods are unpaid.	For every four hours worked, employees are entitled to takea sufficient time to use the restroom.Rest periods are paid.
ND	Employees who work at least 5 hours arerequired to take an uninterrupted, duty-free30-minute meal period no later than the completion of the 5th hour of work.Meal periods are unpaid.	N/A
NH	Employees working for a continuous 5-hour period are required to take an uninterrupted, duty-free 30- minute meal period no later than the completion of the 5th hour of work.Meal periods are unpaid.	N/A
NM	State does not require a meal period. However, when employees are granted a meal period (in industrial, mercantile and certain service industries), it must be at least 30 minutes, not counted as time worked.Meal periods are unpaid.	N/A
NV	Employees working at least 8 hours are required to take an uninterrupted, duty-free 30-minute meal period.Meal periods are unpaid.	For every four hours worked, or major fraction thereof, employees are required to take a 10- minute rest period.Rest periods are paid.
NY*	Employees who work at least 6 hours that extends over the 11 am to 2 pm time period are required to take an uninterrupted, duty- free 30-minute meal period between 11 am and 2 pm.Every person employed for a period starting before 11 am and extends beyond 7 pm is required to take an uninterrupted, duty-free 20-minute meal period between 5 pm and 7 pm.Employees who work at least 6 hours and begin their shift between 1 pm and 6 am are required to take an uninterrupted, duty-free 45-minute meal period (1 hour for factories) as close to the middle of the shift as possible.Meal periods are unpaid.	N/A
OR	Employees who work at least 6 hours are required to take an uninterrupted, duty-free 30-minute meal period.If the employee’s shift s between 6 and 7 hours long, the meal period must be takenno earlier than the completion of 2 hours of work, but no later than the completion of 5 hours of work.Meal periods are unpaid.	For every four hours worked, or major fraction thereof, employees are required to take a 10- minute rest period.Rest periods are paid.
RI	Employees who work at least 6 hours are required to take an uninterrupted, duty-free 20-minute meal period when working a 6- hour shift, or an uninterrupted, duty-free 30- minute meal period when working an 8-hour shift.Meal periods are unpaid.	N/A
TN	Employees who work at least 6 hours are required to take an uninterrupted, duty-free 30- minute meal period no earlier than the completion of 1 hour of work.Meal periods are unpaid.	N/A
VT	Employees are required to take reasonable opportunities to take an uninterrupted, duty- free 30-minute meal period no earlier than the completion of 1 hour of work.Meal periods are unpaid.	Employees are required to take reasonable time to use toilet facilities.
WA	Employees who work at least 5 hours are entitled to an uninterrupted, duty-free 30- minute meal period to be taken no earlier than the completion of 2 hours of work, but no later than the completion of 5 hours of work.Employees who work 3 or more hours longer than the normal workday are required to take a second uninterrupted, duty-free 30-minute meal period before or during the overtime period.Meal periods are unpaid.	For every four hours worked, employees are required to take a 10-minute rest period, scheduled as near as possible to the midpoint of each work period.Rest periods are paid.
WV	Employees who work at least 6 hours are required to take an uninterrupted, duty-free 20-minute meal period.Meal periods are unpaid.	N/A