Minnesota Statutes
Minn. Stat. § 177.254 (2026)
Mandatory Meal Break
✓ current as of May 2026
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Subdivision 1.Meal break.
An employer must allow each employee who is working for six or more consecutive hours a meal break of at least 30 minutes.
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Subd. 2.Payment not required.
Except for subdivision 4, nothing in this section requires the employer to pay the employee during the meal break.
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Subd. 3.Collective bargaining agreement.
Nothing in this section prohibits employers and employees from establishing meal periods different from those provided in this section pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement.
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Subd. 4.Remedies.
If an employer does not allow an employee meal breaks as required by this section and related rules, the employer is liable to the employee for the meal break time that should have been allowed at the employee's regular rate of pay, plus an additional equal amount as liquidated damages.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 2
cases, 2011–2014 · leading case: Rios v. Jennie-O Turkey Store, Inc., 793 N.W.2d 309 (Minn. Ct. App. 2011).
Rios v. Jennie-O Turkey Store, Inc., 793 N.W.2d 309 (Minn. Ct. App. 2011). “” Minn.Stat. § 177.254, subd. 1 (2010). The statute does not, however, “require[] the employer to pay the employee during the meal break.”
Knaak v. Armour-Eckrich Meats LLC, 991 F. Supp. 2d 1052 (D. Minnesota 2014). “ction: (1) violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (Count I); (2) violation of the Minnesota Fair Labor Standards Act overtime pay requirement (Count II); (3) violation of the Minnesota Fair Labor Standards Act record keeping requirement (Count III); (4) breach of contract…”
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