Are meal breaks required by law?

Many employers provide employees with a rest or lunch break, whether paid or unpaid. This common practice is not required everywhere, however: The federal wage and hour law, called the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), doesn't require employers to provide meal or rest breaks. Some states have stepped into the breach to require such breaks, but others have not.

If you get meal or rest breaks, your employer doesn't have to pay you for that time unless: Your state's law requires paid rest breaks, You have to work through your break, or Your break lasts 20 minutes or less; generally, these shorter breaks are considered part of your work day and must be paid