Minnesota break, overtime and sick leave rules

Meal and rest breaks, overtime and paid sick leave in Minnesota, in plain words. Last reviewed October 31, 2026. Not legal advice.

The rules in Minnesota#

Meal breaks: Sufficient unpaid time to eat a meal for employees working 8 consecutive hours or more. No fixed length is set.
Rest breaks: A paid, adequate rest period within each 4 consecutive hours of work, long enough to use the nearest restroom. Rest periods under 20 minutes may not be deducted from hours worked.
Overtime: 1.5 times the regular rate after 48 hours in a workweek. No daily overtime, double time or seventh‑day rule. Federal law applies too: an employee the Fair Labor Standards Act covers earns overtime after 40 hours in a workweek.
Paid sick leave: Yes (Earned Sick and Safe Time). Employees earn 1 hour per 30 hours worked, up to 48 hours per year unless the employer agrees to more.

Oh! Thyme has a Minnesota rule set, turned on for your company at setup. On every shift it checks:

Overtime after 48 hours in a workweek
A 20‑minute meal break that starts by the end of hour 8
Sick leave balances build from approved hours at the rate set for each person, such as 1 hour per 30 worked, stop at their cap, and come down when time off is approved.

A day that breaks a rule is flagged for the approver before the hours go to payroll.

Not checked in Minnesota:

Minnesota's rest periods
Overtime is counted after 48 hours, Minnesota's own threshold: an employer the Fair Labor Standards Act covers owes it after 40, so check which applies to you before setup
The meal is checked for at least 20 minutes, where Minnesota sets no fixed length