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Meal and Rest Break Laws in Oregon

Oregon requires a 30-minute meal period for each work period of 6 to 8 hours and a paid 10-minute rest period for each 4 hours or major part of 4 hours worked.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Oregon at a glance

Meal break required
Yes
Meal break rule
30 minutes per work period of 6 to 8 hours
Taken between hours 2 and 5 (shifts of 7 hours or less) or 3 and 6 (longer shifts). Must be paid if not fully relieved of duty.
Rest break required
Yes
Rest break rule
Paid 10 minutes per 4 hours or major part
Taken near the middle of each 4-hour segment, separately from the meal period. Some exceptions apply, such as union contracts.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Oregon

Does Oregon law require meal breaks for adult employees?

Yes. Meal break required in Oregon: yes.

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

Meal break rule in Oregon: 30 minutes per work period of 6 to 8 hours. Taken between hours 2 and 5 (shifts of 7 hours or less) or 3 and 6 (longer shifts). Must be paid if not fully relieved of duty.

Does Oregon law require rest breaks for adult employees?

Yes. Rest break required in Oregon: yes.

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

Rest break rule in Oregon: Paid 10 minutes per 4 hours or major part. Taken near the middle of each 4-hour segment, separately from the meal period. Some exceptions apply, such as union contracts.

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

The rules above come from Or. Admin. R. 839-020-0050. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

Longer work periods earn additional meal and rest periods under a schedule in Appendix A of the rule.

An employer may give a shorter paid meal period or an on-duty paid meal period only in limited cases, such as undue hardship or an established industry practice of a paid meal period of at least 20 minutes.

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.