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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.Indiana law does not address breaks for most employees. However, the state does require breaks for lactating mothers to express breast milk, and requires (where possible) a refrigerator or other cold storage location for expressed milk.Employees of the state, or of political subdivisions, must provide reasonable break times for lactating mothers to express breast milk.Also, private employers with 25 or more employees must provide a private location where employees can express milk.
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.
Indiana law does not address meal periods.
State
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Regulations
Title 22 Labor and Safety
Indiana Code 22-2-14, Chapter 14, Employee Breaks
(a) To the extent reasonably possible, an employer shall provide a private location, other than a toilet stall, where an employee can express the employee's breast milk in privacy during any period away from the employee's assigned duties.
(b) To the extent reasonably possible, an employer shall:
(1) provide a refrigerator or other cold storage space for keeping milk that has been expressed; or
(2) allow the employee to provide the employee's own portable cold storage device for keeping milk that has been expressed until the end of the employee's work day.
Indiana Code 5-10-6, Chapter 6,Vacations and Other Benefits for Certain Public Employees
IC 5-10-6-2, Paid breaks for expressing breast milk
(a) The state and political subdivisions of the state shall provide reasonable paid break time each day to an employee who needs to express breast milk for the employee's infant child. The break time must, if possible, run concurrently with any break time already provided to the employee. The state and political subdivisions are not required to provide break time under this section if providing break time would unduly disrupt the operations of the state or political subdivisions.
(b) The state and political subdivisions of the state shall make reasonable efforts to provide a room or other location, other than a toilet stall, in close proximity to the work area, where an employee described in subsection (a) can express the employee's breast milk in privacy. The state and political subdivisions shall make reasonable efforts to provide a refrigerator or other cold storage space for keeping milk that has been expressed. The state or a political subdivision is not liable if the state or political subdivision makes a reasonable effort to comply with this subsection.
Federal
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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.