by Effective January 1, 2026, Minnesota employers will be required to give employees “a rest break of at least 15 minutes or enough time to utilize the nearest convenient restroom, whichever is longer” within every four hours of consecutive work. Further, an employer must allow employees working for “six or more consecutive hours a meal break of at least 30 minutes.”
The state has long had a general requirement that employers provide adequate time for employees to use the nearest convenient restroom during each four-hour work period. The new requirement, part of an omnibus bill signed into law on June 14, 2025, sets a minimum baseline of 15-minute paid rest breaks. If it takes longer than fifteen minutes to use the nearest convenient restroom, employees may be entitled to more than fifteen minutes of paid time. The expanded meal break requirement replaces a general rule stating that employers “permit” employees working eight or more consecutive hours “sufficient time to eat a meal.
Employers should update policies and practices to ensure compliance with the new break requirements.
