Breaks (Meal and Rest Periods)

An employee is entitled to a one-half-hour unpaid meal break every five consecutive hours. This half-hour break cannot be denied without good reason. Sometimes employees do not get to take the full half-hour break at one time; and in those cases, the employer must pay for that half hour. 

An employee is not required to remain on the premises of the employer during the half-hour unpaid meal break. 

An employer must provide an employee with at least eight consecutive hours of unpaid rest in every 24 hours except in limited circumstances.  

Unless there is an averaging agreement, every employee must get a rest period of at least 24 consecutive hours in every seven-day period.