Michigan: Meal and Rest Break Requirements

Michigan's rule in practice

Michigan sets no general meal or short-rest requirement for employees age 18
or older. The current Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity guidance
states that dividing line directly.

For covered workers under 18, MCL 409.112 requires an interval of at least
30 minutes before work exceeds five continuous hours. The agency describes the
period as uninterrupted and says daily records should show its start and end.
An interval shorter than 30 minutes does not reset the continuous-work clock.

When an adult's employer voluntarily provides a break, federal pay rules
apply. 29 C.F.R. § 785.18 makes short rests of 5 minutes to about 20
minutes paid time. § 785.19(a) permits an unpaid bona fide meal only when
the employee is completely relieved from duty.

What trips people up

Michigan's youth rule extends through age 17. MCL 409.102(f) defines a
minor as a person under 18, so the break is not limited to 14- and 15-year-old
workers.

The Youth Employment Standards Act also has activity-based exemptions.
MCL 409.119(1) lists domestic chores, newspaper distribution, work in a
parent-owned and operated business, qualifying farm work, and employment by a
school in which a minor age 14 or older is enrolled, among others. An exempt
activity does not receive the Act's meal/rest protection merely because the
worker is under 18.

Common questions

Must a Michigan employer give an adult lunch on an eight-hour shift?

No general Michigan law requires it. A policy, agreement, or narrower rule may
still provide one.

Is the minor's 30-minute break paid?

The Youth Employment Standards Act sets the duration and continuous-work
limit but does not label the period paid. Actual pay treatment depends on
whether the period is duty-free and the applicable hours-worked rules.

What happens if an employer denies a covered minor's break?

Under MCL 409.122(1), an ordinary violation of the Act is a misdemeanor
punishable by up to one year of imprisonment, a fine up to $500, or both.

Statutes and sources

• MCL 409.102(f), 409.112, and 409.119(1). The current official text
  defines minors, sets the 30-minute/five-hour rule, and lists Act-wide
  exemptions. Definition,
  break rule, and
  exemptions
  (accessed July 12, 2026).
• MCL 409.122(1). The current official penalty section supplies the
  ordinary misdemeanor, imprisonment, and fine limits.
  Official text
  (accessed July 12, 2026).
• Michigan LEO, Breaks Meal and Rest Periods. Current official guidance
  confirms no break requirement at age 18 or older and the uninterrupted youth
  break. Official guidance
  (accessed July 12, 2026).
• 29 C.F.R. §§ 785.18-.19. The current federal rules treat provided short
  rests as paid time and require complete relief from duty for an unpaid bona
  fide meal. Short rests
  and meals
  (accessed July 12, 2026).