State Lunch and Break Law Requirements in Maine

In researching current lunch and break laws in various states, I learned that Maine is one of 19 states that has a specific regulation in this area. If a Maine employee has worked at least six consecutively in a given day, he or she must be given a 30 minute unpaid break. For this break to qualify, the worker must be completely relieved of his or her duties. If an employee must do a small task, such as answering the phone, it cannot qualify as a unpaid break. This statute applies to all workers regardless of age.

There are a few exceptions written into the state law. For example, if taking this 30 minute unpaid rest break will cause danger to “property, life, public safety or health,” then the break is not required. The break is also not required in businesses where three or fewer employees are on duty at a time and in situations where employees are allowed to take many short rest breaks throughout the day. Finally, if a business has a collective bargaining agreement in place with its employees that guarantees other meal and break provisions, those will apply instead.

Maine law provides for a penalty of at least $100 but not more than $500 per incident if this law is not observed by an employer.

Maine law does not specifically provide for any other breaks during the workday other than this 30 minute unpaid meal period. However, if employers do wish to give short breaks to workers during the day, Federal law states that these must be paid breaks if they are 20 minutes or less in length.

A complete presentation of federal and state laws related to lunches and breaks, as well as all other labor issues, can be found on the Maine All in One Labor Law Poster.