Meal and Rest Break Requirements in Massachusetts

At a glance

Requirements one by one

The six-hour meal rule

Under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 149, § 100, no person may be required to work more than six hours during a calendar day without at least 30 minutes for a meal. The trigger is work exceeding six hours; the statute does not create a separate 15-minute-rest schedule.

When the meal is paid

The Attorney General's current workplace poster says the employee must be free of all duties and free to leave during an unpaid meal. If the employer asks the employee to work or remain at the workplace during the meal, that time must be paid. 454 CMR 27.02 likewise counts time on the employer's premises or on duty as working time, while excluding a meal only when the employee is relieved of all work-related duties.

Waiver and short rests

The Attorney General's 2026 wage-and-hour training states that a worker may voluntarily give up the meal break, but must be paid for the time worked. The current Mass.gov employment-law guide also notes that an employer may require workers to take their meal breaks.

Massachusetts does not require separate short rest periods. If the employer provides one, 454 CMR 27.02 says a rest of short duration, usually 20 minutes or less, is working time and must be paid.

Coverage and minors

The Attorney General describes the entitlement as covering most employees. § 101 excludes iron works, glass works, paper mills, letterpress establishments, print works, bleaching works, and dyeing works from the general meal section.

There is no separate youth meal/rest clock. Section 100 begins with "No person," so a covered minor uses the same six-hour meal rule. Massachusetts child-labor laws separately limit the hours minors may work and the jobs they may perform.

What trips people up

The state rule does more than require relief from active duties. The Attorney General's poster says a worker must also be free to leave the workplace for an unpaid meal. Requiring the employee to remain onsite at the employer's request makes the time paid.

A voluntary waiver does not turn worktime into unpaid time. If the employee chooses to work through the meal, the 2026 Attorney General training says the time worked must be paid.

Common questions

Does Massachusetts require two paid 15-minute breaks?

No. The state requires the 30-minute meal after more than six hours, but not separate short rests. A short rest the employer chooses to provide is paid working time under 454 CMR 27.02.

Can my employer make me stay in the building during an unpaid meal?

Not under the Attorney General's stated rule. If the employer requires you to stay at the workplace during the meal, the time must be paid.

Where can a worker report a denied meal break?

The Massachusetts Attorney General's Fair Labor Division accepts workplace complaints. Section 100 also provides a statutory fine of $300 to $600 for a violation.

Statutes and sources

• Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 149, §§ 100-101. The current official sections set the 30-minute/six-hour rule, statutory fine, and listed industry exclusions. Section 100 and Section 101 (accessed July 12, 2026).
• 454 CMR 27.02. The current official minimum-wage regulation defines working time to include required onsite time and short rests, but not a meal free of all work duties. Official PDF (accessed July 12, 2026).
• Massachusetts Attorney General, 2026 Wage and Hour Training. Current official training states the meal trigger, duty-free/leave rule, and voluntary-waiver pay requirement. Official PDF (accessed July 12, 2026).
• Massachusetts Attorney General, Wage & Hour Laws Poster. The official workplace poster explains that an employer-requested onsite or working meal is paid. Official poster (accessed July 12, 2026).
• Massachusetts Attorney General, Fair Labor Division guidance. The official enforcement release directs workers to the Fair Labor complaint process. Official guidance (accessed July 12, 2026).