While there is no federal requirement regarding employee rest breaks, many states do have laws governing workplace breaks and meal periods. To avoid violating specific state or municipal laws, you should reference the U.S. Department of Labor's website.

For those states that do not have specific laws governing meal periods, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA) states that if employers choose to provide employees with rest periods, they must be paid.  In addition, if employers grant employees a meal break, they, too, must be paid, unless the break qualifies as a bona fide meal period.  As always, when the state laws differ from the FLSA, the employer is required to comply with the standards that provide employees the greatest benefit.

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