Short answer. A 30-minute unpaid meal or rest period for a shift scheduled for 6 consecutive hours. No separate short rest breaks are required.
Tennessee breaks at a glance
- Meal break
- A 30-minute unpaid meal or rest period for a shift scheduled for 6 consecutive hours.
- Rest breaks
- No breaks are required beyond the 30-minute period.
- Paid?
- Meal: unpaid.
- Minors (under 18)
- Minors under 18 scheduled for 6 consecutive hours get a 30-minute unpaid break or meal period, not during or before the first hour of the day.
- Law
- Tenn. Code Ann. 50-2-103(h); 50-5-115
- Agency
- Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Labor Standards
In Tennessee's words
Meal break
"a thirty (30) minute unpaid meal or rest period"
Rest breaks
"There are no state requirements for additional breaks."
Minors
"A minor must be provided a thirty (30) minute unpaid break or meal period"
Breaks by shift length in Tennessee
For an adult working the hours in one stretch, Tennessee's rule as we read it calls for:
| Shift | Meal break | Rest breaks |
|---|---|---|
| 4 hours | None yet | No state rule |
| 5½ hours | None yet | No state rule |
| 6 hours | 30 minutes | No state rule |
| 8 hours | 30 minutes | No state rule |
Other shift lengths: open the checker set to Tennessee.
Who the Tennessee rule covers
Doesn't apply where the nature of the workplace gives ample opportunity to rest or take a break; the Department names food service and security work as examples.
Waivers and exceptions in Tennessee
The ample-opportunity exemption and the waiver don't apply to employees under 18.
If a Tennessee employer misses a break
Not giving the 30-minute meal or rest period is a violation of state law; the Department lists no amount.
Official Tennessee sources
- Tennessee LWD: Wages, fringe benefits, paychecks and breaks (checked November 2026)
- Tennessee LWD: Child Labor Act (checked November 2026)
Tennessee rules as published on the pages above, checked November 2026. General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. A union contract, an industry order or a city ordinance can add to them.
Tennessee break questions
When is a meal break required in Tennessee?
A 30-minute unpaid meal or rest period for a shift scheduled for 6 consecutive hours. Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Labor Standards puts it as "a thirty (30) minute unpaid meal or rest period."
Does Tennessee require short rest breaks?
No breaks are required beyond the 30-minute period.
Is a meal break paid in Tennessee?
On the official page we checked, the meal break is unpaid.
Can a Tennessee employee skip or waive a break?
The ample-opportunity exemption and the waiver don't apply to employees under 18.
Who is covered by the Tennessee break rule?
Doesn't apply where the nature of the workplace gives ample opportunity to rest or take a break; the Department names food service and security work as examples.
What breaks do minors get in Tennessee?
Minors under 18 scheduled for 6 consecutive hours get a 30-minute unpaid break or meal period, not during or before the first hour of the day. (Ages: under 18.)
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