Oregon meal and rest break law
The short answer
Oregon employers must give a ½ hour (30-minute) meal period, relieved of all duty, to non-exempt employees who work 6 or more hours in a work period. (Administrative (Oregon), per U.S. DOL WHD meal period table) Oregon employers must give a paid rest period of at least 10 minutes for every 4 hours worked (or major part thereof), separate from the meal period. (Administrative (Oregon), per U.S. DOL WHD rest period table)
Last verified Sep 24, 2026 · How we verify every rule
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Meal breaks
Do adult employees get a meal break?Verified: see ruleVerified Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official sources
Oregon employers must give a ½ hour (30-minute) meal period, relieved of all duty, to non-exempt employees who work 6 or more hours in a work period. (Administrative (Oregon), per U.S. DOL WHD meal period table)
“½ hour, with relief from all duty, for each work period of 6 to 8 hours, between 2nd and 5th hour for work period of 7 hours or less and between 3rd and 6th hour for work period over 7 hours”
“Meal periods of at least 30 minutes must be provided to non-exempt employees who work 6 or more hours in one work period. No meal period is required if the work period is less than 6 hours. Additional meal periods are required to be provided to employees who work 14 hours or more in a shift.”
Rest breaks
Do adult employees get paid rest breaks?10 min per 4 hoursVerified Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official sources
Oregon employers must give a paid rest period of at least 10 minutes for every 4 hours worked (or major part thereof), separate from the meal period. (Administrative (Oregon), per U.S. DOL WHD rest period table)
“Paid 10-minute rest period for every 4-hours worked or major portion thereof in one work period; as feasible, approximately in middle of each segment of work period.”
“Oregon law requires an employer-paid rest period of not less than 10 minutes for every segment of four hours or major part thereof (two hours and one minute through four hours) worked in one work period.”
What it means for an employer
- Write down the break schedule for each shift length and give it to your staff.
- Short breaks you offer (about 5 to 20 minutes) count as paid work time under federal rules (U.S. DOL).
- A meal period can be unpaid only when the employee is completely relieved from duty (29 CFR 785.19).
- Record meal periods in your time system so you can show when each one started and ended.
The federal default
“Federal law does not require lunch or coffee breaks. However, when employers do offer short breaks (usually lasting about 5 to 20 minutes), federal law considers the breaks as compensable work hours that would be included in the sum of hours worked during the workweek and considered in determining if overtime was worked.”
“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.”
State rules can add to the federal default. The Oregon rules above are the ones we verified; for anything not covered, ask the state labor office.
Breaks: Oregon and its neighbors
| State | Meal break | Rest break |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | Verified: see rule | 10 min per 4 hours |
| Washington | 30 minutes | 10 min per 4 hours |
| Idaho | Not verified | Not verified |
| Nevada | Not verified | Not verified |
| California | 30 minutes | 10 min per 4 hours |
Only verified rules are shown. "Not verified" means we have not checked that state's rule yet; open its rulebook for the official source.
Related
Questions about Oregon break laws
Do adult employees get a meal break in Oregon?
Oregon employers must give a ½ hour (30-minute) meal period, relieved of all duty, to non-exempt employees who work 6 or more hours in a work period. (Administrative (Oregon), per U.S. DOL WHD meal period table)
Do adult employees get paid rest breaks in Oregon?
Oregon employers must give a paid rest period of at least 10 minutes for every 4 hours worked (or major part thereof), separate from the meal period. (Administrative (Oregon), per U.S. DOL WHD rest period table)
Sources (5)
Checked Sep 24, 2026 · How we verify every rule · Report an error