BREAKS AND MEAL PERIODS

Q: When must breaks and meal periods be given?

Answer: Federal law does not require breaks or meal periods be given to workers.
Some states may have requirements for breaks or meal periods.
If you work in a state which does not require breaks or meal periods, these benefits are a matter of agreement between the employer and the employee (or the employee’s representative).

In New York, Employees who Work a shift of more than six hours starting before 11 AM AND Continue until 2 PM MUST Have an uninterrupted lunch period of AT LEAST Half an hour between 11 AM and 2 PM.

In New Jersey, employers are required to provide employees under the age of eighteen (18) with a thirty (30) minute break after five (5) consecutive hours of work. NJSA 34:2-21.17d(g)(4). New Jersey does not require employers to provide breaks, including lunch breaks, for workers eighteen (18) years old or older.