Breaks and meal periods - Connecticut

Breaks

Federal law does not require employers to provide rest periods or coffee/snack breaks. However, if employers choose to offer short breaks, breaks lasting 20 minutes or less must be considered work time and employees are paid for the time.

Connecticut state law does not require the employer to provide employees with a break time, with an exception for lactating mothers.

Lactation accommodations

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for one year after her child’s birth. The employer must provide a room or location for the employee to use, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion by coworkers and the public.

Under Connecticut law, any employee may, at her discretion, express breast milk or breastfeed on site at her workplace during her meal or break period. An employer shall 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 private.

An employer shall not discriminate against, discipline or take any adverse employment action against any employee because such employee has elected to exercise these rights.

For this purpose, “employer” means a person engaged in business who has one or more employees, including the state and any political subdivision of the state; “reasonable efforts” means any effort that would not impose an undue hardship on the operation of the employer's business; and “undue hardship” means any action that requires significant difficulty or expense when considered in relation to factors such as the size of the business, its financial resources and the nature and structure of its operation.

Meal periods

Federal law does not require employers to provide meal periods. However, if employers choose to provide one, a meal period of at least 30 minutes may be unpaid as long as employees are completely relieved from duty. If employees are not completely relieved of job duties during the meal period, employees must be paid for that time.

Connecticut statutes provide that no employee will work for 7 ½ or more consecutive hours without a meal break of at least 30 consecutive minutes. The employee may take the meal period some time after the first two hours and before the last two hours.