Minnesota break laws in 2026: a 15-minute rest break every 4 hours and a 30-minute meal break at 6 hours

The short answer

Minnesota is one of the states that requires both a rest break and a meal break, and since January 1, 2026 the law says how long they have to be:

• Rest break: at least 15 minutes, or enough time to use the nearest convenient restroom if that takes longer, within each four consecutive hours worked (Minn. Stat. 177.253).
• Meal break: at least 30 minutes for an employee working six or more consecutive hours (Minn. Stat. 177.254).
• Pay: any break under 20 minutes is counted as hours worked and paid. A 30-minute meal break can be unpaid if the employee is completely relieved of duty.
• Penalty: an employer that does not allow the breaks owes the break time that should have been given plus an equal amount as liquidated damages, through the Department of Labor and Industry or a private lawsuit.

Until the end of 2025 the statute only required "adequate time" for the restroom every four hours and "sufficient time to eat a meal" on shifts of eight hours or more. The 2026 version replaces both with minutes, lowers the meal break trigger from eight hours to six, and doubles the cost of getting it wrong. Any schedule written under the old reading needs a second look.

What it looks like on a shift

Take a 9-hour shift, 8am to 5pm, in a store or a clinic:

Time	What the law expects
8:00 to 12:00	One paid rest break of at least 15 minutes somewhere in the first four hours.
by 2:00	A meal break of at least 30 minutes, unpaid if duty-free, because the shift is six hours or more.
12:00 to 4:00	A second paid 15-minute rest break within the second block of four hours.
4:00 to 5:00	The last hour does not complete a third block, so no third rest break is due.

A 5-hour shift: one 15-minute paid break, no meal break. A 6-hour shift: one 15-minute break plus the 30-minute meal break. A 12-hour shift: three 15-minute breaks and the meal break.

The "within each four consecutive hours" wording is a window, not a fixed time. The break can fall anywhere in the block, but it cannot be pushed into the next one or tacked on to the end of the shift.

Paid, unpaid, and the 20-minute line

Minnesota follows the federal test on pay. The 15-minute rest break is under 20 minutes, so it is on the clock: no deduction, and it counts toward the 40 hours that trigger overtime. The 30-minute meal break can come off the clock only if the person is genuinely relieved: not covering the register, not answering the phone, free to leave the work area. Someone who eats at their station while "keeping an eye on things" is working, and the 30 minutes are paid.

If your point-of-sale or time clock auto-deducts 30 minutes, the schedule has to guarantee the break was actually possible, and the record has to show it was taken.

Who is covered

Most private employers and employees. The statute lets a collective bargaining agreement set different break terms, and it excludes agricultural workers and people in bona fide executive, administrative or professional roles. Minors are covered by the same break rules, with separate limits on hours and times of day under the child labor law.

The other Minnesota rules a schedule runs into

Overtime. State law sets overtime at 48 hours in a workweek (Minn. Stat. 177.25). Almost every employer is also covered by the federal FLSA, which sets it at 40, and the stricter rule applies. Plan on 40. There is no daily overtime.

Earned sick and safe time. Since January 1, 2024, employees accrue one hour of paid sick and safe time for every 30 hours worked, up to 48 hours a year, usable for illness, care of a family member and related reasons. It has to be shown on the earnings statement and it affects who is available on the schedule at short notice.

Minneapolis and St. Paul. Both cities have their own minimum wage ordinances above the state rate. Check the rate that applies where the shift happens.

Building it into the schedule

1. Write both breaks into every shift over six hours, with a start time for the meal break. A schedule that says "9 to 6" without them cannot show compliance.
2. Plan the 15-minute breaks per four-hour block, not per shift. Two on an 8-hour shift, three on 12.
3. Clock out and in for the meal break if it is unpaid; leave the rest breaks on the clock.
4. Check auto-deductions against clock data every pay period. The liquidated damages rule turns each missed break into a double charge.
5. Publish two weeks ahead so people can plan around the meal break rather than skipping it.

Squadra writes the breaks inside each shift, flags a shift over six hours that has no meal break in it, records the meal break as a clock-out and clock-in, and shows the week's hours per person against the 40-hour line. Free up to 10 employees: see the pricing.

For the other states that regulate breaks, and how different they are: break laws in the US. Neighbours: Wisconsin, Iowa and the Dakotas have no adult break law; Illinois requires 20 minutes at 7.5 hours and a day off in seven.

*Sources: Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, "Work breaks, rest periods" (dli.mn.gov/breaks); Minn. Stat. 177.253, 177.254 and 177.25. Rules as in force on September 20, 2026. General information, not legal advice.*