Overview

• Although federal law does not impose a duty upon employers to provide employees with rest or work breaks, they may voluntarily allow their employees to exercise them. If they do, they may have to compensate them accordingly. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, companies are not required to pay their employees for their rest breaks as long as they provide them with at least 20 minutes to exercise their breaks. Employers are not required to pay employees for their meal breaks as long as they provide them with 30 minutes to exercise their meal breaks.