The rule
| Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
| Meal or rest break for adults | Not required for employees 18 and over |
| Minors | Ages 14 through 17: a break of at least 30 minutes when working five or more consecutive hours (Child Labor Act) |
| Short breaks, if given | Breaks of less than 20 minutes must be paid |
| Meal periods, if given | Not required to be paid when the employee does no work during the meal period and it lasts more than 20 minutes |
| Who enforces it | Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, Bureau of Labor Law Compliance |
Adults: policy, not statute
The Department of Labor and Industry's wage FAQ answers the question directly: employers are not required to give breaks to employees 18 and over. What the state does regulate is pay once a break exists. A break under 20 minutes is paid time. A meal period longer than 20 minutes can be unpaid, but only if the employee does no work during it. Note that Pennsylvania draws the line at 20 minutes, which is a little tighter than the federal guidance that describes unpaid meal periods as typically 30 minutes or more.
Minors: the 30-minute rule
The Child Labor Act requires all child workers under 18 to be given a 30-minute meal period on or before five consecutive hours of work, and a shorter break does not interrupt the count. A 16 year old who starts at 3 p.m. must be on a 30-minute break by 8 p.m. The Act also limits daily and weekly hours for minors, especially on school days.
Worked example: a 20-person grocery store
The store gives adults a 15-minute paid break and a 30-minute unpaid lunch on 8.5-hour shifts, and employs three 16-year-old cashiers after school.
- The 15-minute break is under 20 minutes, so it is paid and counts toward the 40-hour week.
- The lunch is unpaid only on days the cashier actually leaves the register for the full 30 minutes. A lunch cut to 18 minutes by a rush is now a break of less than 20 minutes, and it is paid.
- A 16 year old scheduled 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on a Saturday (6 hours) must have a 30-minute break by 8 p.m. A 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. shift (4.5 hours) needs no required break under the Act.
How to track it
Because Pennsylvania's pay rule turns on the actual length of the break, an auto-deducted 30-minute lunch is the wrong tool. If the real break was 18 minutes, the deduction underpays by 30 minutes and the employee has a claim. Record the break as its own punch and let the length decide the pay.
ClockOut records meal breaks as punches, keeps short rest breaks on the clock, and can enforce a required break rule for minors so a 16 year old's shift shows a missing break in the manager's exception inbox before the end of the day.
Pennsylvania meal and rest breaks FAQ
Does Pennsylvania require a lunch break for adults?
No. Employers are not required to give breaks to employees 18 and over. Once a break is given, the state's pay rules apply.
How long can an unpaid lunch be in Pennsylvania?
There is no maximum, but to be unpaid it must last more than 20 minutes and the employee must do no work during it. A working lunch or one shorter than 20 minutes is paid.
What breaks do minors get in Pennsylvania?
Minors ages 14 through 17 must get a 30-minute break when they work five or more consecutive hours. The Child Labor Act also caps their daily and weekly hours.
Do 15-minute breaks have to be paid?
Yes. Any break of less than 20 minutes must be paid, and those minutes count toward the 40-hour overtime threshold.
Related pages
Sources, checked September 9, 2026
- Pennsylvania DLI: Wage FAQs (Minimum Wage Act)
- Pennsylvania DLI: Child Labor Act
- U.S. Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #22: Hours worked under the FLSA
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change; check the linked source.