Maryland Meal and Rest Break Laws

Maryland is one of the various states that don’t have any labor laws that require employers in the private sector to provide meal breaks to their employees. Apart from lunch breaks, state law doesn’t require periodic staggered rest breaks throughout the workday either. Other states like Delaware enforce a 30-minute meal break for employees that work seven and a half consecutive hours in a workday. As pragmatic as this might seem, federal laws do not enforce meal or rest as well.

Many people aren't aware the Federal Government does not enforce any laws or regulations that require employers to allow their employees the right to time off for a meal or periodic rest breaks. Even though these types of breaks are not mandatory under state or federal labor law, most employers provide these breaks as a form of formality and company policy. Every business owner wants an efficient and positive workplace, which can’t be achieved with energy drained and hungry employees. 

If an employer decides to offer any type of break, whether it is to rest or for a meal, the employer must be in ordinance with Federal laws and rules. Any break of 20 minutes or less is considered part of the workday, therefore, it must be paid- covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). An employer may also require his/her employees to take a meal break of 30 minutes or more with the choice of paying for the breaks or not. The deciding factor for this method is whether the employee was performing any labor related tasks during the time of rest. For example, if a receptionist must answer calls while he/she eats, the break must be paid. An employer doesn’t have to pay for the meal break if it exceeds 20 minutes without any labor involved.