On June 14, 2025, Minnesota’s governor signed an omnibus bill, SF 17, which includes amendments to the state’s meal and rest break requirements found at Minnesota Statute Sections 177.253 and 177.254.
Effective January 1, 2026, an employer must allow employees “a rest break of at least 15 minutes or enough time to utilize the nearest convenient restroom, whichever is longer” within every four hours of consecutive work. The current standard requires merely an “adequate time to utilize the nearest convenient restroom” each four consecutive work hours. The amendment is a change by setting a minimum baseline of 15-minute paid rest breaks and also opens the door to potentially longer paid rest breaks if it takes longer to utilize the nearest convenient restroom.
Similarly, effective January 1, 2026, an employer must “allow” employees working for “six or more consecutive hours a meal break of at least 30 minutes.” The current standard requires employers to “permit” employees working eight or more consecutive hours “sufficient time to eat a meal” and does not specify a length of time employees must be permitted to eat a meal.
The amendments also include new remedies sections that provide that an employer “that does now allow” a required 15-minute (or more) rest break or a 30-minute meal break “is liable to the employee” for the rest or meal break time “that should have been allowed at the employee’s regular rate of pay, plus an additional amount as liquidated damages.”
The amendments reference “related rules” that have yet to be issued by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. As a result, we anticipate the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry may issue regulations or guidance related to these new rest and meal break requirements before the requirements go into effect.
With these amendments, Minnesota joins a growing group of jurisdictions that require employers to allow meal and rest breaks of specified lengths and provide for significant penalties if employees are not allowed to take the required meal and rest breaks. Employers should review and revise their policies and procedures related to Minnesota rest and meal breaks to ensure compliance with these new requirements in advance of the January 1, 2026, effective date.
