Employers in NYS must provide certain employees with at least 24 consecutive hours of rest in any calendar week. Table of Meal Period Requirements Under State Law For Adult Employees in Private Sector.Federal law does not require lunch or coffee breaks. Most employers in Massachusetts must allow eligible workers to take meal breaks or be absent from work for certain reasons. The North Carolina Wage and Hour Act does not require mandatory rest breaks or meal breaks for employees 16 years of age or older. If you were scheduled to work for 3 hours or more and get sent home, your employer must pay you for at least 3 hours at least minimum wage. A few states require employers to provide a second 30-minute (minimum) lunch break for employees that work more than 10 hours in a work day. As there is no federal law requiring breaks, there are no regulated limits on how long someone can work without a break. An employer cannot force an employee to take a break; however, when an employee refuses break or meal time, this should be documented. Arizona generally does not require private employers to provide employees meal or rest breaks.