U.S. Department of Labor
FLSA Hours Worked Advisor
Your employee's meal period is probably hours worked.
Ordinarily 30 minutes or more is long enough for a bona fide meal period. A shorter period may be long enough under special conditions, provided that during the short meal period the employee is completely relieved from duty.
An additional meal period exception applies to firefighters working in the public sector who have a tour of duty of fewer than 24 hours or exactly 24 hours.
To review the regulations concerning meal periods, click on the underlined text.
For more information, please contact your local Wage and Hour District Office.
