Massachusetts: Meal and Rest Break Requirements

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).