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Georgia Labor Laws Breaks



Quick Guide to Breaks and Georgia Labor Laws

Georgia Labor Laws: Breaks

In the state of Georgia, labor law for breaks specifies that employers are not obligated to give their employees a lunch or break unless they are under the age of 18.  If the employer does give a break period for a person over the age of 18, they are not required to pay the employee after 20 minutes under Georgia labor laws on breaks.  Some Georgia employers regard federal labor laws, and some of these laws are discussed in this article as well.  

Federal Laws on Breaks

Like Georgia labor laws on breaks, federal law does not require an employer to give a rest period to an employee over the age of 18.  If the employer does give a break, they must pay an employee if the break is less than 20 minutes.  Additionally, lunch breaks are not required by federal law for workers over the age of 18, but federal law does state that a meal break that lasts over 30 minutes will be unpaid (unless the employer provides otherwise in the contract).  

A 30-minute “uninterrupted break” under Georgia labor law for breaks and federal law means the employee is not allowed to have their break interrupted by work-related duties such as even picking up the phone.  

There are several exemptions to denying an employee a break under Georgia labor law on breaks.  Some of these exemptions are covered by federal law as well, and these exemptions are covered in the following section.  

A right to breaks under Georgia State Law

There are several specific laws that address an employee’s right for breaks in certain circumstances in Georgia.  As mentioned above, some of these Georgia labor laws on breaks correlate with federal law: 

Section 34-1-6

This section on Georgia labor law on breaks states than an employer is required to give reasonable, unpaid time to an employee each day who needs to express breast milk for an infant child.  The Georgia labor law on breaks also states the following:  

“The employer may make reasonable efforts to provide a room or other location (in close proximity to the work area), other than a toilet stall, where the employee can express her milk in privacy.  The break time shall, if possible, run concurrently with any break time already provided to the employee.” 

Section 34-3-1

This section of official code on Georgia labor laws for breaks provides detailed information for factory workers.  This Georgia labor law on breaks specifically states than all employees within a cotton or woolen manufacturer cannot work more than 10 hours a day.  

There are exemptions for employees who only maintain equipment periodically under Georgia labor laws on breaks, and there are other exemptions that do not favor the employee in a factory.  Under this section of official code, an employee can work more than 10 hours a day a cotton or woolen manufacturing establishment if they are making up lost time, but they may not work more than 60 hours a week.  

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