(650) 332-8623Georgia Break Laws: Meals, Rests, and More (2025)
In this guide, you’ll learn about Georgia’s meal and rest break laws, who they apply to, and how to stay compliant in 2025.
Understanding Georgia Break Laws
Meal Breaks
Laws in Georgia Governing Meal Breaks
Georgia does not have state laws requiring employers to provide meal breaks to employees, regardless of age. Instead, the state follows the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which does not mandate meal periods but provides guidance on compensable work time.
According to 29 CFR 785.19 of the FLSA:
“Bona fide meal periods are not worktime. Bona fide meal periods do not include coffee breaks or time for snacks. These are rest periods. The employee must be completely relieved from duty for the purposes of eating regular meals. Ordinarily, 30 minutes or more is long enough for a bona fide meal period. A shorter period may be long enough under special conditions. The employee is not relieved if he is required to perform any duties, whether active or inactive, while eating.”
This means that employers in Georgia are not required to offer meal breaks. However, if a meal break is provided, it can be unpaid as long as the employee is entirely relieved of all work duties.
If an employee is required to remain on duty, answer phones, or perform any work-related tasks during their meal break, the break must be counted as paid work time under federal law.
Key Points for Employers in Georgia:
- Georgia does not require employers to provide meal breaks.
- If an employer offers a meal break, they do not have to pay employees for it if the break is at least 30 minutes long and the employee is completely relieved of duties.
- If an employee is required to perform work-related tasks during a meal break, the meal break must be paid.
- Employers can set meal break schedules at their discretion.
Rest Breaks
Laws in Georgia Governing Rest Breaks
Similar to meal breaks, Georgia does not have state-mandated laws requiring employers to provide rest breaks during the workday. However, if an employer chooses to offer short breaks, they must follow federal law under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
According to 29 CFR 785.18 of the FLSA:
“Rest periods of short duration, running from 5 minutes to about 20 minutes, are common in industry. They promote the efficiency of the employee and are customarily paid for as working time. They must be counted as hours worked. Compensable time of rest periods may not be offset against other working time such as compensable waiting time or on-call time.”
While Georgia law does not mandate rest breaks, if an employer chooses to provide them, short breaks (typically 5–20 minutes) must be paid as part of an employee’s total work hours.
Key Points for Employers in Georgia:
- Georgia does not require employers to provide rest breaks.
- If an employer voluntarily offers short breaks (5–20 minutes), those breaks must be paid under federal law.
- Employers can set their own break policies, including when breaks occur and whether employees must remain on the premises.
- Unused rest breaks do not accumulate or entitle employees to additional pay.
What's the Difference?
Meal Breaks vs. Rest Breaks in Georgia
In Georgia, the key difference between meal breaks and rest breaks lies in whether the break is paid and its duration.
Georgia does not require employers to provide meal or rest breaks. However, under federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guidelines, meal breaks lasting 30 minutes or more can be unpaid as long as the employee is completely relieved of duties.
Rest breaks, on the other hand, are shorter (typically 5 to 20 minutes) and must be counted as paid work hours if provided by the employer.
Meal breaks allow employees to step away from work for an extended period, usually to eat, while rest breaks are brief, meant to improve productivity, and are commonly taken at or near the worksite.
Exemptions
What Types of Workers Are Exempt from Georgia Break Laws?
In Georgia, neither state law nor the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires employers to provide meal or rest breaks to employees. This means that all employees, regardless of their classification, are not legally entitled to such breaks under Georgia law.
However, if an employer chooses to offer breaks, the FLSA provides guidelines on compensation during these periods.
Short breaks (typically 5 to 20 minutes) must be paid, whereas bona fide meal periods (usually 30 minutes or more) can be unpaid, provided the employee is entirely relieved of duties during this time.
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Other Types of Breaks for Workers in Georgia
Under Charlotte’s Law, enacted on August 5, 2020, Georgia employers must provide paid lactation breaks to breastfeeding employees in the private sector.
- Break Time: Employers must offer reasonable break time to express breast milk. Unlike meal breaks, these breaks must be paid at the employee’s regular rate of pay.
- Private Space: A lactation room must not be a bathroom and should be a private, sanitary space for nursing mothers.
Employer Exemptions: Small businesses with fewer than 50 employees may be exempt if compliance causes undue hardship.
Bathroom breaks fall under federal OSHA regulations rather than state labor laws.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires employers to provide safe and readily accessible restroom facilities to all employees.
- Unreasonable restrictions on bathroom use are prohibited. Employers cannot impose strict limits that prevent employees from using the restroom when needed.
- Break Frequency: While OSHA does not specify the number or duration of bathroom breaks, employers must allow reasonable access.
Unlike meal and rest breaks, which Georgia law does not require, employers must comply with OSHA restroom accessibility rules.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employees with qualifying disabilities can request additional or adjusted break times as a reasonable accommodation for their health condition.
1. Who Qualifies? Employees with a disability that substantially limits one or more major life activities (e.g., diabetes, epilepsy, mobility impairments).
2. Break Adjustments: Employees may request longer or more frequent breaks for taking medication, monitoring blood sugar, or managing a medical condition.
3. Employer Responsibilities:
- Employers must accommodate reasonable requests unless doing so would cause undue hardship (e.g., significant financial burden or workplace safety risk).
- The ADA applies to private employers with 15 or more employees as well as state and local governments.
Recordkeeping Requirements for Breaks in Georgia
In Georgia, there are no specific state laws mandating employers to provide meal or rest breaks to employees. Consequently, there are no state-imposed recordkeeping requirements specifically for tracking such breaks.
However, under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employers are obligated to maintain accurate records of employees’ work hours. This includes:
- Hours worked each day
- Total hours worked each workweek
These records must be preserved for at least three years.
While the FLSA does not explicitly require employers to document meal or rest breaks separately, it is advisable for employers who provide unpaid meal periods to maintain records of these breaks.
Georgia Penalties for Meal and Break Violations
Civil Liability Failure to Provide Paid Lactation Breaks
Georgia’s “Charlotte’s Law” mandates that employers provide reasonable paid break time and a private, non-bathroom space for employees to express breast milk.
While specific state-imposed penalties for non-compliance are not detailed, employers may face civil liability, including lawsuits for discrimination or retaliation, if they fail to comply with these requirements.
Up to $10,000 Criminal Penalties for Willful Violations
Employers who willfully violate the FLSA may face criminal prosecution, resulting in fines of up to $10,000. A second conviction can lead to imprisonment for up to six months.
Misconceptions About Meals and Breaks in GA
Many employees believe that Georgia law mandates employers to provide meal and rest breaks during work hours.
Neither federal law nor Georgia state law requires employers to offer meal or rest breaks to employees. However, if employers choose to provide short breaks (typically 5 to 20 minutes), these must be paid. Meal periods of 30 minutes or more can be unpaid, provided employees are completely relieved of duties during that time.
It’s commonly assumed that workers under 18 in Georgia are legally entitled to specific meal or rest breaks.
Georgia law does not require employers to provide meal or rest breaks to minors. While federal regulations limit the number of hours minors can work, there are no specific provisions mandating breaks for them.
Some employers believe they can automatically subtract meal periods from an employee’s total hours worked, regardless of whether the break was taken.
Automatically deducting meal periods can lead to inaccuracies in recording actual hours worked, especially if employees work through their breaks. It’s best practice to have employees clock in and out for meal periods to ensure accurate timekeeping and compliance with wage laws.
Some believe that employers can mandate employees to stay at the workplace during unpaid meal breaks to ensure timely return.
Requiring employees to remain on-premises during unpaid meal breaks may necessitate compensating them for that time, as they are not fully relieved of duties. Employers should consult legal guidelines to ensure compliance.
There’s a notion that employers can choose not to pay employees for brief rest breaks taken during the workday.
Under federal law, short rest breaks lasting about 5 to 20 minutes are considered compensable work hours and must be paid. Employers cannot deduct this time from an employee’s wages.
Some employees believe they can choose to work through their meal breaks to leave work earlier or for other reasons.
Since Georgia law does not require employers to provide meal breaks, the decision to offer and structure such breaks is at the employer’s discretion. Employees cannot unilaterally decide to skip meal breaks if the employer has a policy in place.
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Employees: Know Your Rights to Meals and Breaks in GA
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No State-Mandated Breaks: Georgia law does not require employers to provide meal or rest breaks.
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Paid Short Breaks: If employers offer short breaks (5 to 20 minutes), they must be paid.
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Unpaid Meal Periods: Meal periods of 30 minutes or more can be unpaid if you are fully relieved of duties.
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Breaks for Nursing Mothers: Employers must provide paid lactation breaks and a private space (not a bathroom) for expressing breast milk.
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ADA Accommodations: Employees with disabilities may request additional breaks as a reasonable accommodation.
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Bathroom Breaks: Employers must allow reasonable access to restroom facilities without excessive restrictions.
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Employer Policies: While not required, many employers offer breaks voluntarily; check your company’s policy for details.
Employer Obligations for Meals and Breaks in GA
Employers in Georgia are expected to:
- Follow federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guidelines if they provide breaks.
- Pay employees for short rest breaks (5 to 20 minutes) if offered.
- Ensure that meal breaks of 30 minutes or more are unpaid only if the employee is fully relieved of duties.
- Provide reasonable break time and a private space (not a restroom) for nursing employees to express breast milk.
- Allow employees reasonable access to restroom facilities as required by OSHA.
Georgia employers have the right to set employee break schedules if they choose to offer breaks. This means employers can determine when and how long employees take breaks within company policies.
Employers should clearly communicate break policies to employees and ensure compliance with federal regulations. A process should be in place for employees to request reasonable accommodations if they need additional or modified breaks for medical reasons.
How to Ensure Compliance with Georgia’s Meal and Break Laws
Since Georgia does not have state-mandated meal and break laws, compliance primarily revolves around federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guidelines and specific protections for nursing mothers, bathroom access, and disability accommodations.
Manually tracking employee work hours and breaks can be challenging, especially for businesses with multiple job sites or field-based teams.
A time-tracking solution like Workyard can simplify compliance by accurately recording work hours, ensuring proper break documentation, and helping employers meet legal requirements effortlessly.
See how Workyard can help you stay compliant with break laws, or sign up for a free 14-day trial today!
1. Establish Clear Break Policies
Even though breaks aren’t legally required, having a company policy in place prevents misunderstandings. Outline who gets breaks, when they can take them, and whether they are paid or unpaid in your employee handbook.
2. Track Employee Work Hours & Breaks Accurately
Short rest breaks (5-20 minutes) must be paid, so it’s essential to document them properly. If providing unpaid meal breaks, ensure employees are fully relieved of duties and track their break time to avoid wage disputes.
3. Provide Accommodations for Nursing Mothers & Employees with Disabilities
Employers must provide reasonable break time and a private space (not a restroom) for nursing employees. Employees with disabilities may require additional or modified breaks, which should be documented as part of their reasonable accommodations.
4. Ensure OSHA Compliance for Bathroom Breaks
Employers cannot unreasonably restrict bathroom access—doing so can result in OSHA penalties of up to $16,550 per violation. Make sure employees have access to clean, accessible restrooms as required by federal law.
5. Use Automated Compliance Software
Relying on manual break tracking or paper timesheets can lead to errors and potential wage disputes. Workyard’s labor compliance software helps businesses automate time tracking, enforce break policies, and generate accurate records for audits.
Stay Compliant with Workyard
Tracking meals and breaks manually can be time-consuming, and failing to document break times correctly can lead to disputes and penalties. With Workyard’s GPS-powered time clock, you can:
- Track breaks with precision to ensure compliance with labor laws.
- Prevent wage disputes by maintaining clear and accurate records.
- Simplify payroll processing with automated, real-time work hour tracking.
Benefits to Employees
Complying with federal labor laws on meals and breaks, along with Georgia’s specific break protections, provides significant benefits to employees. Ensuring that employees receive appropriate break opportunities enhances their well-being, productivity, and overall job satisfaction.
Improved Health and Well-Being
Taking short rest breaks allows employees to recover from physical and mental fatigue, reducing the risk of stress-related health issues.
For nursing mothers, designated lactation breaks support postpartum health and work-life balance. Ensuring reasonable access to bathroom facilities also helps maintain employee comfort and hygiene.
Increased Productivity and Performance
Breaks help prevent burnout and improve focus, allowing employees to return to work feeling refreshed and more engaged. Employees who are given appropriate time to step away from their tasks tend to make fewer mistakes and maintain a more consistent level of performance throughout their shifts.
Greater Workplace Satisfaction
Providing breaks fosters a workplace culture that prioritizes employee well-being. When employees feel their needs are respected, it leads to increased morale, stronger loyalty, and lower turnover rates.
Employers who uphold fair break policies often see better team collaboration and a more positive work environment.
Legal Protection and Workplace Compliance
Clear and compliant break policies protect employees from potential wage disputes and ensure they are fairly compensated for their time. Employees can feel secure knowing their rights are upheld, reducing the risk of workplace grievances and fostering a more transparent employer-employee relationship.
Benefits to Employers
By following best practices for meal and rest breaks, businesses can improve productivity, strengthen employee relationships, and reduce legal risks.
Optimized Workforce Efficiency
Employees who take regular breaks return to work more focused and less fatigued, leading to fewer mistakes and higher-quality output. When staff members are well-rested, they maintain consistent productivity throughout their shifts, ultimately contributing to smoother operations and improved efficiency.
Stronger Employee Retention & Loyalty
Respecting break policies signals to employees that their well-being is valued. This fosters a positive workplace culture, increasing morale and reducing turnover. Employees who feel supported are more likely to remain loyal, which minimizes recruitment and training costs for employers.
Reduced Legal Risks & Compliance Assurance
Employers who document breaks properly and follow federal guidelines protect themselves from costly labor disputes and wage claims. Failure to comply with break-related laws—such as OSHA restroom access rules or lactation break requirements—can lead to penalties or lawsuits. Proactively implementing compliance measures reduces financial and legal risks.
Enhanced Business Reputation
Companies that prioritize compliance and employee welfare attract better talent and improve their reputation. Ethical workplace practices create a competitive advantage in hiring, positioning the business as an employer of choice in the industry.
By ensuring compliance with break regulations and tracking work hours accurately, employers create a healthier, more productive, and legally protected workplace—a win-win for both businesses and their employees.
The Bottom Line on Georgia Meal and Break Laws
Georgia does not require employers to provide meal or rest breaks, but businesses must still comply with federal labor laws, including paid short breaks, lactation accommodations, and OSHA restroom access rules.
Manually tracking breaks can be time-consuming and prone to errors. Workyard helps you save time and reduce risk with its GPS-powered time-tracking and labor compliance software makes it easy to log work hours, automate compliance, and generate accurate records.
Sign up for a free 14-day trial today and see how Workyard can simplify labor compliance for your business!
No, 15-minute breaks are not required by law in Georgia. The state does not mandate employers to provide rest or meal breaks for adult employees. However, if an employer offers short breaks (typically 5-20 minutes), they must be paid under federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guidelines. Longer meal periods (30 minutes or more) can be unpaid as long as employees are fully relieved of their duties.
In Georgia, there are no mandatory breaks for adult employees in an 8-hour shift. However, some employers provide one unpaid meal break (usually 30-60 minutes) and one or two short paid rest breaks. If your employer has a break policy, they must follow it consistently.
Yes, in Georgia, there is no legal requirement for employers to provide a lunch break, even for shifts longer than 6 hours. Federal law allows employers to set their own break policies, as long as they comply with wage laws.
If an employer provides a 30-minute or longer meal break, it can be unpaid as long as the employee is completely relieved of duties. However, if you are required to work during lunch, you must be paid for that time.
Georgia does not have specific break laws for 12-hour shifts. Employees working long shifts are not legally entitled to meal or rest breaks under state law.
However, some employers voluntarily offer meal breaks (typically unpaid) and rest breaks (paid if under 20 minutes) to maintain productivity and employee well-being.
In addition, federal OSHA regulations require employers to allow workers reasonable restroom access, and nursing mothers are entitled to lactation breaks.
In Georgia, there is no limit on how many hours an employee can work without a break, as state law does not require meal or rest periods. However, employers who offer breaks must follow federal rules, such as paying employees for short rest breaks (under 20 minutes) and ensuring unpaid meal breaks truly relieve employees of work duties.
Some industries, like healthcare and transportation, may have separate break regulations under federal law.
