Massachusetts Required Workday Break & Meal Periods 2024
Workday Meal Periods:
REQUIRED
By Statute
Workday Rest Periods:
No Regulation
Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts' meal period requirements.
Mandatory Workday Lunch / Meal Breaks in Massachusetts
Massachusetts requires employees be provided a ½ hour lunch break, if work is for more than 6 hours.
Which employees are covered by Massachusetts' meal period regulations?
Massachusetts' meal break law excludes iron works, glass works, print works, paper mills, letter press establishments, and bleaching or dyeing works.
Additional Meal Period Information
The Massachusetts Labor Commissioner may grant exemptions to this law to a factory workshop or mechanical establishment if, at discretion of Commissioner, it is necessary due to continuous process or special circumstances, including an existing collective bargaining agreement.
Note: Massachusetts Has Special Regulations for Minor Employees
In addition to a general regulation requiring meal periods for employees, Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts' child labor regulations here.
Mandatory Workday Rest Periods in Massachusetts
While some states have labor regulations requiring that employees be allowed one or more workday rest periods, the Massachusetts government has no such regulations. Therefore, in Massachusetts, any breaks or rest periods are provided to employees at the discretion of the employer.
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