Breaks for Workers
The Fair Labor Standards Act does not make employers give meal or rest breaks for most adult workers, and neither does Iowa law.
Federal and state laws set the minimum standards.
You may have an agreement with your employer (either directly or through a union) where your employer has agreed to provide you with additional break periods.
If employers do provide breaks, short rest breaks (typically 5 to 20 minutes) count as hours worked. Longer meal breaks (typically 30 minutes or more) do not count as hours worked, if the worker does not have to perform any work duties during that break.
- U.S. Department of Labor regulations on rest and meal periods are available at 29 C.F.R. part 785, subpart C.
Required: Breaks to access clean restrooms. ✔
Federal law requires employers to provide workers with access to clean restrooms as needed.
- More information on restroom requirements is available from OSHA’s website here.
- The regulation on restroom availability is 29 C.F.R. section 1910.141.
Required: Breaks to express breast milk. ✔
Federal law also requires employers to give an employee time to express breast milk for their nursing child for one year after the child’s birth.
- More information related to this requirement is available on the Wage and Hour division website.
- The Department of Labor has also provided detailed guidance in their Field Assistance Bulletin on the topic.