Rhode Island Required Workday Break & Meal Periods 2024
Workday Meal Periods:
REQUIRED
By Statute
Workday Rest Periods:
No Regulation
Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island's meal period requirements.
Mandatory Workday Lunch / Meal Breaks in Rhode Island
All employees in Rhode Island are entitled to a 20 minute mealtime within a six hour work shift, and a 30 minute mealtime within an eight hour work shift.
Which employees are covered by Rhode Island's meal period regulations?
Rhode Island's meal period regulations are applicable to all employees except to an employer of a licensed health care facility, or an employer who employs less than three people on any shift at the worksite.
Note: Rhode Island Has Special Regulations for Minor Employees
In addition to a general regulation requiring meal periods for employees, Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island's child labor regulations here.
Mandatory Workday Rest Periods in Rhode Island
While some states have labor regulations requiring that employees be allowed one or more workday rest periods, the Rhode Island government has no such regulations. Therefore, in Rhode Island, any breaks or rest periods are provided to employees at the discretion of the employer.
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