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Meal and Rest Break Laws in Illinois

Illinois requires a meal period of at least 20 minutes for employees who work 7.5 continuous hours, starting no later than 5 hours into the shift, plus another 20 minutes for every additional 4.5 continuous hours; rest breaks are required only for certain hotel room attendants.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Illinois at a glance

Meal break required
Yes
Meal break rule
20 minutes for 7.5 continuous hours, within first 5 hours
An additional 20-minute meal period is due for every additional 4.5 continuous hours worked. Employees under a collective bargaining agreement are excluded.
Rest break required
No (hotel room attendants only)
Rest break rule
No general requirement for adults
Hotel room attendants in counties with over 3,000,000 people get two paid 15-minute rest breaks and a 30-minute meal period on workdays of at least 7 hours.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Illinois

Does Illinois law require meal breaks for adult employees?

Yes. Meal break required in Illinois: yes.

How long is the required meal break in Illinois, and when is it due?

Meal break rule in Illinois: 20 minutes for 7.5 continuous hours, within first 5 hours. An additional 20-minute meal period is due for every additional 4.5 continuous hours worked. Employees under a collective bargaining agreement are excluded.

Does Illinois law require rest breaks for adult employees?

No (hotel room attendants only). Rest break required in Illinois: no (hotel room attendants only).

How long are required rest breaks in Illinois, and when are they due?

Rest break rule in Illinois: No general requirement for adults. Hotel room attendants in counties with over 3,000,000 people get two paid 15-minute rest breaks and a 30-minute meal period on workdays of at least 7 hours.

Where do the Illinois meal and rest break laws come from?

The rules above come from 820 ILCS 140/3 and 820 ILCS 140/3.1. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

The rules are in the One Day Rest in Seven Act. The additional meal period rule took effect January 1, 2023 (P.A. 102-828), and a meal period does not include reasonable time spent using the restroom.

Separate rules apply to certain on-call workers who monitor individuals with disabilities or mental illness and certain emergency medical services employees.

What this means in practice

Put the break schedule in writing, for example in an employee handbook, and apply it consistently. State rules often depend on shift length, so the policy should say when a break is due and how long it lasts.

Under federal rules, short rest breaks are generally counted as paid work time, while a bona fide meal period during which the employee is fully relieved of duty usually does not have to be paid. If an employee is asked to stay at the workstation or answer calls, the meal period may count as work time.

Check whether a state rule covers your industry and workforce. Break laws can treat minors, health care workers, nursing mothers or employees under a collective bargaining agreement differently, and city ordinances may add requirements.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.