Tennessee Break Laws (2026)
Last updated: 2026-10-07 · Checked against the statute text and state agency guidance · Meal break required
| Adult meal break | 30 min if 6+ h |
|---|---|
| Adult rest break | Not required (short breaks you give must be paid) |
| Minors | Under 18: 30 min if scheduled 6 h; adult exemptions don't apply |
| Lactation | Unpaid breaks |
| Enforcing agency | Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Labor Standards Unit |
Heads up: The U.S. DOL's minors footnote omits Tennessee, which requires a 30-minute break for minors scheduled 6 consecutive hours (and doesn't let the adult exemptions apply to them).
Tennessee 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.
Tennessee · Adult (18+) · 8:00 AM–6:00 PM
On site 10 h · hours worked 9 h 30 min (unpaid meal time excluded)
Exempt: workplaces that by their nature give ample opportunity to rest; tipped food/beverage servers may waive in writing.
- Meal break 1 · 30 min · unpaid if fully relievedSuggested: 11:00 AM
Not before 9:00 AM.
Shift with at least 6 hours of work: not before hour 1.
Scheduling aid, not legal advice. Industry wage orders, union contracts and employer-specific exemptions can change the rules — see the Tennessee break law page for citations.
Tennessee meal break law
Employees 'must be provided a thirty (30) minute unpaid meal or rest period if scheduled six (6) consecutive hours.' Per the DOL table, the break shall not be scheduled during or before the first hour of scheduled work activity. No additional breaks are required by state law.
- Who's covered
- Employers covered by the Tennessee Wage Regulations Act. Exempt: workplace environments that by their nature provide ample opportunity to rest or take an appropriate break (Tennessee Department of Labor examples: food and beverage industry, security guards).
- Longer shifts
- None ('There are no state requirements for additional breaks').
- Paid or unpaid
- Unpaid (statute calls it an 'unpaid meal or rest period'); must be paid if the employee is not relieved of duty (federal rule).
- Waivers
- An employee principally employed in serving food or beverages to customers who receives and reports tips may waive the 30-minute unpaid break by voluntary written request (Tenn. Code Ann. §50-2-103(h)(2), per DOL table and TDLWD child labor page); waiver not available to employees under 18.
- Exemptions
- Workplaces that by their nature provide ample opportunity to rest or take an appropriate break (§50-2-103(h)(1)(A)); not available for employees under 18.
Source: Tenn. Code Ann. §50-2-103(h)
Tennessee rest break law
No separate short rest-break requirement; the single 30-minute 'meal or rest period' for 6 consecutive scheduled hours is the only state break ('There are no state requirements for additional breaks'). Federal: short breaks given must be paid.
Breaks for minors in Tennessee
A minor must be provided a 30-minute unpaid break or meal period if scheduled to work six consecutive hours; the break shall not be scheduled during or before the first hour of the workday. The 'ample opportunity' exemption and the tipped-server waiver do NOT apply to employees under 18.
Source: Tenn. Code Ann. §50-5-115
Lactation breaks in Tennessee
All employers with one or more employees (including the state and political subdivisions) must provide reasonable unpaid break time each day to an employee who needs to express breast milk for her infant child, concurrent with existing breaks if possible; not required if it would unduly disrupt the employer's operations. Employer must make reasonable efforts to provide a room or other location in close proximity to the work area, other than a toilet stall, for private expression (held harmless if reasonable efforts made). No time limit stated beyond 'infant child.'
Pay: Unpaid.
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.
Source: Tenn. Code Ann. §50-1-305
Frequently asked questions
Are breaks required by law in Tennessee?
A 30-minute unpaid meal or rest period for employees scheduled 6 consecutive hours, not during or before the first hour. Workplaces that naturally allow ample rest are exempt (not for minors). 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 Tennessee?
For an 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. shift (8 hours worked plus an unpaid meal), Tennessee requires 1 meal period for adult employees. Exempt: workplaces that by their nature give ample opportunity to rest; tipped food/beverage servers may waive in writing.
Do minors get breaks in Tennessee?
A minor must be provided a 30-minute unpaid break or meal period if scheduled to work six consecutive hours; the break shall not be scheduled during or before the first hour of the workday. The 'ample opportunity' exemption and the tipped-server waiver do NOT apply to employees under 18.
Are lactation breaks required in Tennessee?
All employers with one or more employees (including the state and political subdivisions) must provide reasonable unpaid break time each day to an employee who needs to express breast milk for her infant child, concurrent with existing breaks if possible; not required if it would unduly disrupt the employer's operations. Employer must make reasonable efforts to provide a room or other location in close proximity to the work area, other than a toilet stall, for private expression (held harmless if reasonable efforts made). No time limit stated beyond 'infant child.' The federal PUMP Act also applies: reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom space for one year after birth.
Official Tennessee sources
Figures checked against these sources on 2026-10-07Compare
Also “Meal break required”: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia
← South Dakota · All states table · Texas → · Tennessee overtime
Related Resources on This Site
Helpful guides
General information, not legal advice. Industry rules, union contracts and agency exemptions can change these requirements. Confirm with Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Labor Standards Unit.