U.S. Labor Law Compliance Database
Search federal, state, and local scheduling compliance regulations — overtime, breaks, minor labor, predictive scheduling, and more.
Regulations
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Alabama restricts the employment of minors under the age of 16. Children under 14 are generally prohibited from working. Minors under 16 must receive a 30-minute break for every 5 hours of work. Work permits are required for minors under 16, and employers must comply with hour restrictions during school periods.
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Alaska requires overtime pay at 1.5 times the regular rate of pay for all hours worked over 8 in a single workday and for all hours worked over 40 in a single workweek. Alaska is one of the few states that mandates daily overtime in addition to the federal weekly overtime threshold. The daily and weekly overtime provisions do not pyramid; only the highest applicable rate applies to any given hour.
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Arizona has no state overtime, meal break, rest break, or predictive scheduling laws beyond the federal FLSA baseline. Federal rules apply.
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Arkansas has no state overtime, meal break, rest break, or predictive scheduling laws beyond the federal FLSA baseline. Federal rules apply.
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California Child Labor Laws
activeCalifornia restricts the employment of minors under age 18, requiring work permits for all minors and imposing limits on hours, times of day, and types of work. Minors aged 14-15 may work up to 3 hours on a school day and 8 hours on a non-school day, with weekly limits of 18 hours during school weeks and 40 hours during non-school weeks. Minors aged 16-17 may work up to 4 hours on a school day and up to 48 hours per week, with evening curfews. Meal breaks are required after 5 hours of work.
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California requires overtime pay at 1.5 times the regular rate for hours worked beyond 8 in a workday and beyond 40 in a workweek, and double time for hours beyond 12 in a workday. On the seventh consecutive day of work in a workweek, the first 8 hours are paid at 1.5 times the regular rate and all hours beyond 8 are paid at double time. Overtime rates do not pyramid; the highest applicable rate applies. Alternative workweek schedules (such as 4/10) may modify the daily overtime threshold when properly adopted.
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California requires employers to provide a duty-free 30-minute meal period before the end of an employee's fifth hour of work. A second 30-minute meal period is required before the end of the tenth hour of work. Employees may waive the first meal period if the shift is no longer than 6 hours, and may waive the second meal period if the shift is no longer than 12 hours and the first meal period was not waived. If an employer fails to provide a compliant meal period, the employee is entitled to one additional hour of pay at the regular rate as premium pay for each workday the violation occurs.
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California requires employers to pay reporting time pay when an employee reports to work as scheduled but is not put to work or is furnished less than half of the usual or scheduled day's work. The employee must be paid for half of the usual or scheduled day's work, with a minimum of 2 hours and a maximum of 4 hours, at the employee's regular rate of pay. A second reporting in the same workday entitles the employee to at least 2 hours of pay.
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California requires employers to authorize and permit a paid 10-minute rest period for every 4 hours worked, or major fraction thereof. Rest periods must be in the middle of the work period insofar as practicable. Employees who work fewer than 3.5 hours in a day are not entitled to a rest period. If an employer fails to provide a required rest period, the employee is entitled to one additional hour of pay at the regular rate as premium pay for each workday the violation occurs.
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California requires employers to pay a split shift premium of one hour at the state minimum wage to any employee whose workday includes a split shift. A split shift is a work schedule interrupted by non-paid, non-working periods established by the employer, other than bona fide rest or meal periods. The premium is reduced by any amount the employee's hourly rate exceeds the minimum wage, calculated over the total hours worked that day. The current California state minimum wage is $16.50 per hour.
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Colorado requires employers to provide a 30-minute uninterrupted meal break to employees who work 5 or more consecutive hours. The meal break is unpaid if the employee is completely relieved of duties. If the nature of the work prevents a duty-free meal break, the employer must permit an on-duty meal period that counts as paid time worked.
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Colorado regulates the employment of minors under 16 with restrictions on maximum hours, time-of-day limitations, and work permit requirements. Minors under 16 may work a maximum of 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week during non-school periods, with more restrictive limits during the school year. Work permits are required for minors under 16.
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Colorado requires overtime pay at 1.5 times the regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek (weekly overtime) and for hours worked over 12 in a single workday (daily overtime). Colorado is one of the few states that mandates both daily and weekly overtime. The COMPS Order (Colorado Overtime and Minimum Pay Standards) governs these requirements.
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Colorado requires employers to provide a paid 10-minute rest break for every 4 hours of work, or major fraction thereof. Rest breaks must be provided as close to the midpoint of each 4-hour work period as practicable. Rest breaks are compensated as time worked.
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Connecticut requires employers to provide a 30-minute meal break to employees who work a shift of 7.5 or more consecutive hours. The meal break must be provided after the first 2 hours of work and before the last 2 hours of work. The break may be unpaid if the employee is completely relieved of all duties. Employers in certain industries may apply to the Labor Commissioner for exemptions.
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Connecticut requires employers to pay a minimum of 4 hours at the minimum wage rate to employees who report to work as scheduled but are sent home before completing 4 hours. If the employer offers work but the employee chooses not to work the 4 hours, the guarantee does not apply. This ensures that employees who make themselves available for work receive a minimum level of compensation.
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Delaware requires employers to provide a 30-minute meal break to employees who work shifts of 7.5 or more consecutive hours. The meal break must be given after the first 2 hours of work and before the last 2 hours of the shift. The break may be unpaid if the employee is completely relieved of duties.
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The District of Columbia requires employers to pay a minimum of 4 hours of pay to employees who report to work as scheduled but are not provided with at least 4 hours of work. This reporting time pay ensures that employees who make themselves available for scheduled shifts receive a minimum level of compensation even when the employer does not need their services.
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The District of Columbia requires employers to pay a split shift premium of one additional hour at the minimum wage rate for each day an employee works a split shift. A split shift is defined as a schedule in which the employee's work hours are not consecutive but are interrupted by a non-working period as established by the employer, excluding bona fide meal and rest periods.
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Federal law does not require employers to provide meal or rest breaks to adult employees. However, when employers choose to offer short breaks (typically 5 to 20 minutes), these must be counted as compensable hours worked under the FLSA. Bona fide meal periods (typically 30 minutes or longer) are not considered hours worked and need not be compensated, provided the employee is completely relieved of all duties during the meal period. If an employee must perform any duties during the meal period, it is compensable time.
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Federal child labor provisions under the FLSA establish minimum age requirements for employment, restrict the hours and times of day that minors aged 14 and 15 may work, and prohibit minors under 18 from working in occupations declared hazardous by the Secretary of Labor. Children under 14 are generally prohibited from employment, with narrow exceptions for agriculture, acting, and family businesses. Youth aged 14–15 may work in permitted occupations outside school hours with strict limits on hours, times of day, and types of work. Youth aged 16–17 may work unlimited hours but are barred from 17 federally designated Hazardous Occupations (HO Orders). The FLSA imposes civil money penalties of up to $15,629 per minor for child labor violations.
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The federal FLSA requires covered employers to pay non-exempt employees overtime at a rate of not less than 1.5 times their regular rate of pay for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek. There is no federal requirement for daily overtime. Certain employees are exempt from overtime based on salary level and duties tests, including executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, and computer employees. The standard salary threshold for the white-collar exemptions is $684 per week ($35,568 annually). Highly compensated employees earning at least $107,432 annually may also qualify for exemption under a reduced duties test. Computer employees may alternatively be paid at an hourly rate of not less than $27.63 per hour.
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Florida has no state overtime, meal break, rest break, or predictive scheduling laws beyond the federal FLSA baseline. Federal rules apply.
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Georgia restricts the employment of minors under 16. Minors under 16 may work a maximum of 4 hours on a school day, 8 hours on a non-school day, and 40 hours per week during non-school weeks. During the school year, weekly hours are further limited. Minors under 12 are generally prohibited from working.
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Hawaii requires employers to provide a 45-minute meal break to employees who work shifts of at least 5 consecutive hours. A 30-minute meal break may be permitted if there is a collective bargaining agreement in place. The meal break must be duty-free and may be unpaid.
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Hawaii requires work permits for minors aged 14-15. The state restricts the hours and types of work that minors under 16 may perform. Work permits are obtained through the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.
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Idaho has no state overtime, meal break, rest break, or predictive scheduling laws beyond the federal FLSA baseline. Federal rules apply.
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Illinois requires employers to provide a 20-minute meal break to employees who work 7.5 or more continuous hours. The meal break must be provided no later than 5 hours after the beginning of the shift. For shifts of 12 or more hours, an additional 20-minute meal break is required. The meal break must be provided beginning no later than 5 hours after the end of the first meal break. The law applies to all employers in Illinois.
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Indiana restricts the employment of minors with specific rules for each age group. Children under 14 generally cannot work. Minors aged 14-15 may work up to 3 hours on a school day and 18 hours during a school week, and cannot work past 7 PM (9 PM June 1 through Labor Day). Minors aged 16-17 may work up to 8 hours on a school day, 30 hours during a school week (40 hours during non-school weeks), and cannot work past 10 PM on school nights.
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Iowa restricts the employment of minors under 16. Minors aged 14-15 may work a maximum of 4 hours on a school day and 28 hours during a school week. Minors may not work in hazardous occupations. Iowa also regulates the types of equipment and machinery that minors may operate.
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Kansas has no state overtime, meal break, rest break, or predictive scheduling laws beyond the federal FLSA baseline. Federal rules apply.
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Kentucky requires employers to provide employees with a reasonable meal break of at least 20 minutes duration between the third and fifth hour of work for any employee scheduled to work 5 or more consecutive hours. The meal break is unpaid if the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
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Kentucky requires overtime pay at 1.5 times the regular rate of pay for hours worked on the seventh consecutive day of work in any workweek. In addition, Kentucky follows the federal 40-hour weekly overtime threshold. The seventh-day overtime provision provides additional protection beyond the federal FLSA, which does not require overtime based solely on consecutive days worked.
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Kentucky requires employers to provide a paid 10-minute rest period for every 4 hours worked. The rest period must be provided in addition to the meal break and is counted as time worked. Kentucky is one of the few states that mandates paid rest breaks for adult employees by statute.
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The Los Angeles Fair Work Week Ordinance requires covered retail employers (NAICS codes 44-45) with 300 or more employees globally to provide work schedules at least 14 days in advance and pay predictability pay for schedule changes made after the posting deadline. The law includes a 10-hour minimum rest period between shifts with 1.5 times pay for voluntary shorter rest periods, a requirement to provide a good faith estimate of hours at the time of hire, and protections against retaliation for exercising rights under the ordinance.
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Louisiana has no state overtime, meal break, rest break, or predictive scheduling laws beyond the federal FLSA baseline. Federal rules apply.
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Maine requires employers to provide a 30-minute meal break to employees who work 6 or more consecutive hours. The break must be provided as a consecutive rest period and may be unpaid if the employee is completely relieved of duties.
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Maine Reporting Time Pay
activeEffective September 2025, Maine requires employers to provide reporting time pay to employees who report to work as scheduled but are given less than the scheduled hours. Employees must be compensated for a minimum number of hours when they report to work at the employer's request.
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Maryland requires work permits for all minors under 18. The state restricts the hours, times, and types of work that minors may perform, with specific rules varying by age group. Maryland's child labor laws are enforced by the Maryland Department of Labor.
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Maryland requires retail employers to provide employees with a 15-minute break for shifts of 4 to 6 consecutive hours, and a 30-minute meal break for shifts of more than 6 consecutive hours. This requirement applies specifically to retail establishments.
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Massachusetts requires employers to provide a 30-minute meal break to employees who work 6 or more hours in a day. During the meal break, the employee cannot be required to work and must be free from all duties. If the employer requires the employee to remain at the workplace or to perform any duties during the break, the meal period must be paid. The Attorney General may grant exemptions to specific employers or industries on a case-by-case basis.
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Massachusetts requires employers to pay employees a minimum of 3 hours at the minimum wage rate when the employee reports to work as scheduled or at the employer's request. If the employee works fewer than 3 hours, they must still be paid for 3 hours at no less than the applicable minimum wage. This ensures that employees who make themselves available for work receive a guaranteed minimum level of compensation.
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Michigan requires work permits for all minors under 18. Minors aged 14-15 may work a maximum of 3 hours on a school day and are limited to 6 days per week. Minors aged 16-17 have a 10 PM curfew on school nights. The state regulates hours, times, and occupations for minor workers.
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Minnesota requires employers to provide employees with sufficient time to eat a meal for shifts of 8 or more consecutive hours. The employer must provide a reasonable period of time for the meal break. While the statute does not specify an exact duration, the break must be long enough for the employee to consume a meal. The break need not be paid if the employee is completely relieved of duties.
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Minnesota requires employers to provide adequate restroom time within each 4 consecutive hours of work. In addition, MNOSHA guidance establishes that a 10-minute paid rest break per 4 hours of work is standard practice. The restroom time requirement is a statutory mandate, while the 10-minute rest break is enforced through department guidance and workplace safety standards.
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Mississippi has no state overtime, meal break, rest break, or predictive scheduling laws beyond the federal FLSA baseline. Federal rules apply.
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Missouri has no state overtime, meal break, rest break, or predictive scheduling laws beyond the federal FLSA baseline. Federal rules apply.
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Montana has no state overtime, meal break, rest break, or predictive scheduling laws beyond the federal FLSA baseline. Federal rules apply.
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New York City's Fair Workweek Law for fast food workers requires fast food employers with 30 or more locations nationally to provide work schedules at least 14 days in advance, pay tiered schedule change premiums ($10 to $75) for changes made after the posting deadline, observe an 11-hour minimum rest period between closing and opening shifts, and provide just cause protections after 30 days of employment. The law also requires employers to offer regular schedules and provide a good faith estimate of hours at the time of hire. It is one of the most comprehensive predictive scheduling laws in the United States.
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New York City's Fair Workweek Law for retail workers requires retail employers with 20 or more employees to provide work schedules at least 72 hours in advance and prohibits the practice of on-call scheduling. The law bans employers from requiring retail employees to be available to work on-call shifts, canceling or adding shifts with less than 72 hours notice without the employee's consent, and requiring employees to contact the employer or be contacted by the employer less than 72 hours before a shift to confirm whether the employee should report for the shift.
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Nebraska requires employers operating assembling plants, workshops, or mechanical establishments with 25 or more employees to provide a 30-minute meal break during each shift. The meal break must allow employees to leave the premises to eat. This requirement applies specifically to manufacturing and assembly-type workplaces and is not a general meal break mandate for all industries.
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Nevada requires overtime pay at 1.5 times the regular rate of pay for hours worked over 8 in a single workday if the employee is compensated at a rate less than 1.5 times the state minimum wage. Weekly overtime at 1.5 times the regular rate applies for all hours over 40 in a workweek regardless of the employee's hourly rate. The daily overtime provision is unique in that it only applies to lower-paid workers, creating a wage-based threshold for daily overtime eligibility.
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Nevada requires employers to provide a 30-minute meal break to employees who work a continuous period of 8 or more hours. The meal break should be provided at a reasonable time during the shift. If the nature of the work prevents the employee from being completely relieved of all duties, the on-duty meal period must be paid.
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Nevada requires employers to provide a paid 10-minute rest break for every 4 hours of work, or major fraction thereof. The rest break must be provided as close to the middle of the 4-hour work period as practicable. Rest breaks are counted as hours worked and must be compensated.
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New Hampshire requires employers to provide a 30-minute meal break to employees who work more than 5 consecutive hours. The meal break may be waived by mutual agreement between the employer and the employee. If the employee is not completely relieved of duties during the meal break, the time must be paid as hours worked.
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New Hampshire requires employers to pay employees a minimum of 2 hours of pay when the employee reports to work as scheduled and is sent home before completing 2 hours of work. The pay must be at the employee's regular rate or the applicable minimum wage, whichever is greater. This provides a floor of compensation for employees who make themselves available for work.
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New Jersey Call-In Pay
activeNew Jersey requires employers to pay one hour of call-in pay at the applicable minimum wage rate for each day an employee reports to work as scheduled but receives no work assignment. This applies when the employee is ready, willing, and able to work but the employer fails to provide any work. The provision is established through administrative regulation implementing the state wage and hour law.
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New Mexico has no state overtime, meal break, rest break, or predictive scheduling laws beyond the federal FLSA baseline. Federal rules apply.
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New York requires employers to pay call-in pay when an employee reports to work as scheduled. An employee who reports to work must be paid for a minimum of 4 hours, or the number of hours in the scheduled shift (whichever is less), at the applicable minimum wage rate. Additional call-in pay rules apply when employees are required to report for split shifts or additional shifts on the same day.
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New York Child Labor Laws
activeNew York restricts employment of minors under 18, requiring work permits (employment certificates) for all working minors. Minors aged 14-15 face strict hour and time-of-day limits similar to federal standards. Minors aged 16-17 may work up to 28 hours during school weeks, 4 hours on school days, with a 10:00 PM curfew (extendable to midnight with written parental consent for non-school nights). New York uses a color-coded permit system: blue for 14-15 year olds, green for 16-17 year olds, and other colors for special circumstances.
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New York Spread of Hours Pay
activeNew York requires employers to pay an extra hour at the applicable minimum wage rate when an employee's workday spread of hours exceeds 10 hours. The spread of hours is the interval between the beginning and end of an employee's workday, including any breaks or time off. This provision applies to all employees in industries covered by New York wage orders, including hospitality, building service, and miscellaneous industries.
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North Carolina restricts the employment of minors under 16 with hour limitations, mandatory breaks, and prohibited occupations. Minors under 16 must receive a 30-minute break for every 5 hours worked. They may work a maximum of 3 hours on a school day, 8 hours on a non-school day, and 18 hours during a school week.
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North Dakota requires employers to provide a 30-minute meal break to employees who work 5 or more consecutive hours. The meal break must be provided within a reasonable time during the shift.
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Ohio regulates the employment of minors under 18 with work permit requirements, hour restrictions, and mandatory breaks. Work permits are required for all minors under 18, with Ohio offering an online permit system. Minors aged 14-15 may work up to 3 hours on a school day and 18 hours during a school week. Minors under 16 must receive a 30-minute break for every 5 hours worked.
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Oklahoma has no state overtime, meal break, rest break, or predictive scheduling laws beyond the federal FLSA baseline. Federal rules apply.
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Oregon requires employers to provide a 30-minute unpaid meal break for work shifts of 6 or more hours. The meal break must be provided between the 2nd and 5th hour of the shift. An additional 30-minute meal break is required for shifts of 14 or more hours. The meal period is unpaid if the employee is completely relieved of duties.
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Oregon Minor Labor Standards
activeOregon prohibits employment of children under 14, with limited exceptions. Minors aged 14-15 are subject to federal child labor rules plus additional state restrictions. Minors aged 16-17 have no state-imposed hour limits but are prohibited from working in hazardous occupations. Work permits (employment certificates) are required for all minors under 18.
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Oregon is the only state with a statewide predictive scheduling law. The Fair Work Practices Act requires covered employers (500+ employees worldwide in retail, hospitality, or food service) to provide work schedules at least 14 days in advance, pay schedule change premiums for last-minute changes, and provide a right to rest of at least 10 hours between shifts. The law aims to provide workers with more predictable and stable work schedules.
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Oregon requires employers to provide a paid 10-minute rest break for every 4 hours worked, or major fraction thereof. Rest breaks must be continuous and uninterrupted, and should be scheduled approximately in the middle of each 4-hour work segment. Rest breaks are compensated as time worked.
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The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act requires employers to provide reasonable break time and a private space (other than a bathroom) for employees to express breast milk for their nursing child for up to one year after the child's birth. Enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, the PUMP Act expanded the protections originally created by Section 7(r) of the FLSA (the Break Time for Nursing Mothers provision of the Affordable Care Act) to cover nearly all employees, including salaried, exempt, and non-exempt workers. The law became effective on December 29, 2022, with the private right of action provisions taking effect on April 28, 2023.
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Pennsylvania requires work permits for all minors under 18. Minors aged 14-15 may work up to 3 hours on a school day and 18 hours during a school week. Minors aged 16-17 may work up to 8 hours on a school day, 28 hours during a school week, and face a midnight curfew. The state has detailed regulations on permissible occupations for each age group.
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Philadelphia's Fair Workweek ordinance requires covered employers in the retail, hospitality, and food service industries with 250 or more employees and 30 or more locations worldwide to provide work schedules at least 14 days in advance. The law includes predictability pay for schedule changes made after the posting deadline, a 9-hour minimum rest period between shifts (clopening protections) with a $40 premium for voluntary waivers, and a requirement to offer additional hours to existing employees before hiring new workers. The ordinance aims to provide greater stability and predictability for workers in scheduling-intensive industries.
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Rhode Island requires employers to provide meal breaks based on shift length. Employees who work a 6-hour shift must receive a 20-minute meal break, and employees who work an 8-hour shift must receive a 30-minute meal break. The break must be provided within a reasonable time from the beginning of the shift, consistent with the scheduled break period. The meal break may be unpaid if the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
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Rhode Island requires employers to pay employees a minimum of 3 hours of pay at the applicable minimum wage rate when the employee reports to work as scheduled. If the employee is sent home before completing 3 hours of work, the employer must still pay for the full 3 hours. This ensures that employees who make themselves available for scheduled shifts receive a minimum level of compensation.
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South Carolina has no state overtime, meal break, rest break, or predictive scheduling laws beyond the federal FLSA baseline. Federal rules apply.
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South Dakota has no state overtime, meal break, rest break, or predictive scheduling laws beyond the federal FLSA baseline. Federal rules apply.
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Tennessee requires employers to provide a 30-minute meal break to employees who work shifts of 6 or more consecutive hours. The meal break must be provided and may be unpaid if the employee is completely relieved of duties.
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Texas has no state overtime, meal break, rest break, or predictive scheduling laws beyond the federal FLSA baseline. Federal rules apply.
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Utah has no state overtime, meal break, rest break, or predictive scheduling laws beyond the federal FLSA baseline. Federal rules apply.
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Vermont requires employers to provide employees with a reasonable opportunity to eat and use toilet facilities during work. While the statute does not mandate a specific duration for meal breaks, employers must ensure that employees have adequate time to eat during their shifts.
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Virginia has no state overtime, meal break, rest break, or predictive scheduling laws beyond the federal FLSA baseline. Federal rules apply.
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Washington requires employers to provide a 30-minute meal break to employees who work more than 5 consecutive hours. The meal break must be provided no less than 2 hours and no more than 5 hours from the beginning of the shift. The meal period is unpaid if the employee is completely relieved of duties.
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Washington has among the most restrictive child labor laws in the nation, particularly for 16-17 year olds. During school weeks, 16-17 year olds may work a maximum of 20 hours (28 with a variance), no more than 4 hours on a school day, and must stop work by 10 PM. Minors aged 14-15 follow rules similar to federal standards. All minors must have a minor work permit. Minors receive a 10-minute paid rest break for every 2 hours worked, which is more frequent than the adult rest break requirement.
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Washington requires employers to pay non-exempt employees overtime at 1.5 times their regular rate for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek. Washington's salary threshold for overtime exemption is higher than the federal threshold. Agricultural workers are being phased in to overtime coverage under a multi-year schedule.
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Washington requires employers to provide a paid 10-minute rest break for every 4 hours worked. Rest breaks must be provided no later than the end of the third hour of each 4-hour work period. Rest breaks are paid time and may not be deducted from wages.
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West Virginia requires employers to provide a meal break of at least 20 minutes to employees who work shifts of 6 or more hours. The meal break may be unpaid if the employee is completely relieved of duties during the break period.
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Wisconsin requires work permits for all minors under 18. Minors aged 16-17 may work up to 26 hours during a school week and 5 hours on a school day. Minors under 16 must receive a 30-minute break for every 6 hours of work. Supervision is required for minors working after 12:30 AM. The state has detailed restrictions on permissible occupations and work hours for each age group.
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Wyoming has no state overtime, meal break, rest break, or predictive scheduling laws beyond the federal FLSA baseline. Federal rules apply.