State laws (statutes and regulations) generally govern the number and length of breaks and meal periods employers must provide employees—usually based on the number of consecutive hours the employee has worked that day. These laws vary from state to state and many states have separate provisions requiring meal periods specifically for minors (when minors are covered by two provisions, employer must observe the higher standard).

Federal law does not require lunch or coffee breaks for employees, but if employers do offer short breaks (usually lasting about 5 to 20 minutes) federal law considers the breaks compensable work hours that must be included in the number of hours worked when calculating overtime pay. Unauthorized extensions of authorized work breaks need not be counted as hours worked when the employer has expressly and unambiguously communicated to the employee that the authorized break may only last for a specific length of time, that any extension of the break is contrary to the employer's rules, and that any extension of the break will be punished. Bona fide meal periods (typically lasting at least 30 minutes) serve a different purpose than coffee or snack breaks, are not work time, and are not compensable.

In New Hampshire, state laws require employers to provide employees with a 30-minute meal break if they work more than five consecutive hours, unless it is feasible for the employee to eat while working and the employer permits them to do so. This is outlined in RSA 275:30-a. However, there is no requirement in New Hampshire law for employers to provide shorter breaks, such as coffee or snack breaks. For minors, New Hampshire law (RSA 276-A:5) requires a 30-minute lunch period after five consecutive hours of work. As for federal law, while it does not mandate meal or coffee breaks, it does require that any short breaks provided by the employer be considered compensable work hours. These short breaks must be included in the total hours worked for the purposes of calculating overtime. Meal periods, on the other hand, are not considered work time and are not compensable, provided they are at least 30 minutes long and the employee is fully relieved from duty for the purpose of eating a meal.