Puerto Rico Required Workday Break & Meal Periods 2024
Workday Meal Periods:
REQUIRED
By Statute
Workday Rest Periods:
No Regulation
Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico's meal period requirements.
Mandatory Workday Lunch / Meal Breaks in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico requires a meal period of 1 hour, after the end of the 3rd but before the beginning of the 6th consecutive hour worked. Double-time pay is required for work during the meal hour or fraction thereof.
Which employees are covered by Puerto Rico's meal period regulations?
Puerto Rico's meal period statute excludes domestic service and public sector employment other than agricultural, industrial, commercial or public service enterprises.
Additional Meal Period Information
The meal period may be shortened for convenience of the employee by mutual employer/employee consent and with approval of the Secretary of Labor. Such consent and approval is not necessary if the union and employer agree on shorter period. Requirement for a second meal period for employees working up to 10 hours may be waived with approval of the Secretary of Labor.
Note: Puerto Rico Has Special Regulations for Minor Employees
In addition to a general regulation requiring meal periods for employees, Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico's child labor regulations here.
Mandatory Workday Rest Periods in Puerto Rico
While some states have labor regulations requiring that employees be allowed one or more workday rest periods, the Puerto Rico government has no such regulations. Therefore, in Puerto Rico, any breaks or rest periods are provided to employees at the discretion of the employer.
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