Break laws are essential for defining the parameters around meal and rest periods during work. It ensures equitable treatment and sufficient downtime for employees.
Montana does not specify its break laws. Instead, it adheres to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for guidance.
This guide will highlight the obligations and rights of employers and employees concerning breaks during the workday.
This article covers:
- Rest Breaks in Montana
- Meal Breaks in Montana
- Breastfeeding Break Laws in Montana
- Minors Break Laws in Montana
Rest Breaks in Montana
There are no state or federal laws mandating employers to provide rest breaks to their employees, such as coffee breaks. However, if an employer does offer such breaks and they are less than 20 minutes, this time is considered work time and must be paid.
Meal Breaks in Montana
Montana state or federal laws don’t require employers to give meal breaks to their employees. If employers choose to offer such breaks, they should be at least 30 minutes long and employees must not work during this time, as per Administrative Rules of Montana, 24.16.1006.
Breastfeeding Breaks in Montana
Federal regulations mandate employers to offer a non-bathroom space and sufficient break time for nursing mothers to pump breast milk up to one year post-birth. In addition, Montana enforces a state statute prohibiting public employers from discriminating against employees who need to express milk during work hours.
Minors Break Laws in Montana
While Montana does not particularly offer work breaks to minors, it does impose restrictions on their work hours to ensure their health, well-being, and education are not compromised.
Minors aged 14 and 15 are not permitted to work before 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., except for a period in the summer (June 1 through Labor Day) when they may work until 9 p.m.
Further, their work is limited to 3 hours during school days, extending to 18 hours for the whole school week.
On non-school days, they can work up to 8 hours, with 40 hours allowed in non-school weeks.
Learn more about Montana Labor Laws through our detailed guide.
Important Cautionary Note
This content is provided for informational purposes only. While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information presented, we cannot guarantee that it is free of errors or omissions. Users are advised to independently verify any critical information and should not solely rely on the content provided.
