Meal and rest break rules by state
Federal law doesn’t require breaks for adults, but these states set minimums for most adult employees. It’s a simplified summary; industries, shift lengths and written waivers create exceptions, so check the Department of Labor’s meal break and rest break tables or your state labor department.
| State | Meal break (usually unpaid) | Rest breaks |
|---|---|---|
| California | 30 min before the end of the 5th hour; a 2nd one before the end of the 10th hour | 10 min paid per 4 hours |
| Colorado | 30 min for shifts over 5 hours | 10 min paid per 4 hours |
| Illinois | 20 min for shifts of 7.5 hours, starting by the 5th hour | — |
| Kentucky | A reasonable meal break between the 3rd and 5th hour | 10 min paid per 4 hours |
| Massachusetts | 30 min for shifts over 6 hours | — |
| Minnesota | Time to eat for shifts of 8 hours or more | Rest break every 4 hours |
| Nevada | 30 min for 8 continuous hours | 10 min paid per 4 hours |
| New York | 30 min for shifts over 6 hours that cover 11 AM–2 PM (longer for factories) | — |
| Oregon | 30 min for shifts of 6 hours or more | 10 min paid per 4 hours |
| Washington | 30 min for shifts over 5 hours, between the 2nd and 5th hour | 10 min paid per 4 hours |
States not listed may have no general adult break law. Reviewed October 2026.
Example: an 8.5-hour shift
A warehouse shift runs 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM with a 30-minute unpaid lunch and two 15-minute paid breaks. Paid hours are 8 h 30 min minus lunch = 8.00 hours.
The 7.5 hours of actual work are split into four equal blocks, giving: work until 8:55, break until 9:10, work until 11:05, lunch until 11:35, work until 1:30, break until 1:45, then work to the end of the shift.
How the schedule is built
Lunch goes in the middle of the shift, with rest breaks spread evenly either side. Start times are rounded to the nearest 5 minutes so the plan is easy to follow. If lunch would start more than 5 hours into the shift, you’ll see a warning, since states such as California require it earlier.
Only the lunch comes off your paid hours. Under federal rules, short breaks of 5 to 20 minutes count as work time; a meal break of 30 minutes or more can be unpaid if you’re fully off duty.