Mississippi Break Laws (2026)
Last updated: 2026-10-07 · Checked against the statute text and state agency guidance · No break law
| Adult meal break | Not required |
|---|---|
| Adult rest break | Not required (short breaks you give must be paid) |
| Minors | No separate rule — adult rules (if any) apply |
| Lactation | Can't bar pumping during existing breaks |
| Enforcing agency | No state wage-and-hour agency (Mississippi Department of Employment Security handles unemployment; U.S. DOL Wage and Hour Division enforces federal law) |
Mississippi break scheduler
Pick a state and enter the shift. You'll get every break the law requires, the latest time each can start, a suggested schedule, and — if you enter the breaks actually taken — a compliance check with California premium pay.
Mississippi · Adult (18+) · 8:00 AM–6:00 PM
On site 10 h · hours worked 10 h
No meal or rest break is required by Mississippi law for this shift.
Federal law still applies: breaks of about 5–20 minutes you choose to give must be paid, and an unpaid meal must be a real duty-free break (ordinarily 30+ minutes).
Scheduling aid, not legal advice. Industry wage orders, union contracts and employer-specific exemptions can change the rules — see the Mississippi break law page for citations.
Mississippi meal break law
No state law requires meal periods for adult private-sector employees; federal FLSA applies (no meal break required; bona fide meal periods of 30+ minutes with the employee completely relieved of duty may be unpaid, 29 CFR 785.19).
Source: official guidance
Mississippi rest break law
No state rest-break requirement for adult private-sector employees. Federal rule: short breaks (about 5-20 minutes), if given, must be paid (29 CFR 785.18).
Breaks for minors in Mississippi
No minor-specific meal or rest break rule found. Mississippi's child labor law (limited to factories, mills, canneries, workshops and manufacturing establishments per the DOL child labor table) has no break provision found; Mississippi is not in the DOL minors' meal footnote.
Lactation breaks in Mississippi
Minimal protection only: 'No employer shall prohibit an employee from expressing breast milk during any meal period or other break period provided by the employer.' No requirement to provide break time or a space; federal PUMP Act supplies those.
Pay: No state requirement (federal PUMP Act rules apply).
Federal floor (PUMP Act): reasonable break time and a private space that isn't a bathroom for one year after birth, for nearly all employees; unpaid unless the employee isn't fully relieved of duty. Employers with fewer than 50 employees may be exempt only if compliance would cause undue hardship.
Frequently asked questions
Are breaks required by law in Mississippi?
No meal or rest break law. Employers can't bar pumping during breaks they already give. Federal law requires no breaks, but short breaks that are given must be paid and unpaid meal periods must be duty-free.
How many breaks do you get for an 8-hour shift in Mississippi?
None for adults — Mississippi has no general meal or rest break law. Under federal law, any short break you give (5–20 minutes) must be paid.
Do minors get breaks in Mississippi?
No minor-specific meal or rest break rule found. Mississippi's child labor law (limited to factories, mills, canneries, workshops and manufacturing establishments per the DOL child labor table) has no break provision found; Mississippi is not in the DOL minors' meal footnote.
Are lactation breaks required in Mississippi?
Minimal protection only: 'No employer shall prohibit an employee from expressing breast milk during any meal period or other break period provided by the employer.' No requirement to provide break time or a space; federal PUMP Act supplies those. The federal PUMP Act also applies: reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom space for one year after birth.
Official Mississippi sources
Figures checked against these sources on 2026-10-07Compare
Also “No break law”: Arizona, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming
← Minnesota · All states table · Missouri → · Mississippi overtime
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Helpful guides
General information, not legal advice. Industry rules, union contracts and agency exemptions can change these requirements. Confirm with No state wage-and-hour agency (Mississippi Department of Employment Security handles unemployment; U.S. DOL Wage and Hour Division enforces federal law).