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Summary of differences between federal and state regulations
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.
Hawaii statutes do not address breaks. However, state law requires that no employer may prohibit an employee from expressing breastmilk during any meal period or other break period required by law or required by collective bargaining agreement. It is unlawful to refuse to hire or employ, or to bar or discharge from employment, or withhold pay, demote, or penalize a lactating employee because an employee breastfeeds or expresses milk at the workplace.
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.
Hawaii statutes do not address meal periods.
State
Contact
Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
Regulations
Haw. Rev. Stat., Chapter 378, Part I, Discriminatory Practices, §378-2
Federal
Contact
The US Department of Labor is the federal agency that monitors hours worked.
Regulations
U.S. labor regulations for hours worked can be found in CFR 29: Part 785 Rest Periods and Meal Periods.