Maryland Required Workday Break & Meal Periods 2024
Workday Meal Periods:
REQUIRED
By Statute
Workday Rest Periods:
No Regulation
Maryland has regulations describing workday meal / lunch breaks to be provided to employees, but does not mandate that employees be provided additional, shorter break periods. This page provides details about Maryland's meal period requirements.
Mandatory Workday Lunch / Meal Breaks in Maryland
Maryland requires that employees receive a 15 minute break for 4-6 consecutive hours of work, and a 30 minute meal break for shifts of more than 6 consecutive hours. If an employee works 8 or more consecutive hours, the employer must provide a 30-minute meal break and an additional 15 minute break for every additional 4 consecutive hours worked.
Which employees are covered by Maryland's meal period regulations?
Marylands break laws apply to retail establishments. S retail establishment is defined as ""an employer whose primary purpose is to sell goods to a consumer with the consumer present in the retail establishment at the time of sale"", and does not include restaurant or wholesalers.
Break law applies only to employers who are engaged in a retail business (or who own retail establishment franchises with the same trade name) with 50 or more retail employees for each working day in each of 20 or more calendar week in the current or preceding calendar year.
Employees who work in certain retail establishments are entitled to a non-working shift break depending upon the number of hours worked.
Note: Maryland Has Special Regulations for Minor Employees
In addition to a general regulation requiring meal periods for employees, Maryland has special regulations that require meal periods for minors under age 18. These regulations, which require more frequent and / or longer meal / break periods, take precedence over the general regulations for minor employees. Learn more about Maryland's child labor regulations here.
Mandatory Workday Rest Periods in Maryland
While some states have labor regulations requiring that employees be allowed one or more workday rest periods, the Maryland government has no such regulations. Therefore, in Maryland, any breaks or rest periods are provided to employees at the discretion of the employer.
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