HR topics · Meal and rest breaks by state

Meal and rest breaks in New York

New York Labor Law section 162 requires meal periods, but not rest or coffee breaks.

When is a lunch break required in New York?

A worker whose shift is more than six hours and extends over the noonday period (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) gets at least 30 minutes off within that period. Factory workers get 60 minutes.

What about long days and night shifts?

A shift that starts before 11 a.m. and continues later than 7 p.m. gets an additional meal period of at least 20 minutes between 5 and 7 p.m. A shift of more than six hours that starts between 1 p.m. and 6 a.m. gets at least 45 minutes (60 for factory workers), midway through the shift.

Are rest breaks required?

No. The New York State Department of Labor says employers do not have to provide rest periods or coffee breaks, but if an employer permits a break of up to 20 minutes, it should be paid as work time.

General information, AI-prepared and checked against the official sources listed, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities, contracts and union agreements can add rules. Last reviewed October 2026. How answers are made