Rest Breaks

• Connecticut does not require its employers to provide their employees with rest breaks. However, the United States Department of Labor requires employers to pay for their employees' breaks if they are under 20 minutes. Thus, employers who voluntarily allow their employees to exercise rest breaks throughout the workday must pay them for their rest breaks not exceeding 20 minutes. Employers who entered into collective bargaining or employment agreements with their employees must comply with the terms of those agreements. If their private agreements require them to provide their employees with mandatory paid breaks, then they must allow their employees to exercise those breaks.
  
  

Meal Periods

• Employers must provide all of their employees who work at least 7 1/2 hours per day with 30 minutes to eat. Employees must have at least one continuous 30-minute meal break if they work at least 7 1/2 continuous hours. Employers may limit when they take their meal breaks, and Connecticut law allows them to limit breaks to two hours after their shifts begin and two hours before their shifts end.
  
  

Compensation for Meal Breaks

• Section 31-51ii of the Connecticut State Statutes covers the state's meal break requirements. The statute is silent as to whether employers must pay their employees for their meal breaks. However, federal law does not mandate paid meal breaks when employers provide their employees with at least a 30-minute lunch break. Thus, employers may voluntarily choose to pay for their employees' meal breaks, but are not legally required to pay them. However, employers who require their employees to work during their meal breaks must pay them for 30 minutes of work time.
  
  

Exceptions to Meal Periods

• The labor commissioner can provide exemptions to employers who have only one employee performing necessary work functions. The commission may also exempt employers who have fewer than five employees on-shift at one time and employers that cannot provide breaks to their employees without endangering public safety and employers who cannot provide meal breaks because of the urgent nature of their work such as research work. Employers who provide at least 30 minutes of paid rest breaks do not have to comply with this meal break requirement.
  
  

Considerations

• Since state laws can frequently change, do not use this information as a substitute for legal advice. Seek advice through an attorney licensed to practice law in your jurisdiction.