Rest and Lunch Break Laws by State (2025 Edition)
At the federal level, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require employers to provide rest and lunch breaks to their employees. However, it does dictate how employees must be compensated if an employer does choose to offer breaks: In the absence of meal and break laws imposed at the federal level, many U.S. states have created their own state-specific laws. These state laws override FLSA requirements when they’re more favorable to employees, which is unanimously the case.