Breaks and meal periods - Georgia

Breaks

Federal law does not require that employers provide rest periods or coffee/snack breaks. However, when employers do offer short breaks, usually lasting between five to 20 minutes, the breaks must be considered work time and employees are paid for the time. 

Georgia does not address breaks for most employees, but has a provision for lactating mothers.

Breaks for expressing breast milk

In August 2020, Georgia’s governor signed new legislation that requires most employers to provide paid lactation breaks. Break time provided under this law must be paid at the employee’s regular rate of pay and must be in a private area (not a bathroom).

If the employee is paid on a salary basis, the employer may not require the employee to use paid leave and may not reduce the employee’s salary due to taking a break to express breast milk during the workday. Employers don’t have to provide paid break time to employees who are working away from any of the employer’s worksites. The law went into effect immediately.

Meal periods

Federal law does not require that employers provide meal periods. Bona fide meal periods, which typically last between 30 and 60 minutes, serve a different purpose than a break. During meal periods, the employee must be completely relieved from duty. Bona fide meal periods are not considered work time and are not compensable. If an employee is not totally relieved of job duties during the time he or she is eating a meal, then the employee must be paid for that time 

Georgia does not address meal breaks.