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 Rhode Island, state laws require employers to provide meal periods to employees, but the specifics can vary. For a standard workday, Rhode Island law mandates that employees who work a six-hour shift are entitled to a 20-minute meal break, and those who work an eight-hour shift are entitled to a 30-minute break. These meal periods are typically unpaid unless the employee is required to work through their meal break, in which case they must be compensated. For minors, Rhode Island law requires a 30-minute meal break for any shift of five hours or more. Employers must adhere to the more stringent standard when both general and minor-specific provisions apply. It's important to note that while federal law does not mandate meal or coffee breaks, it does require that short breaks (usually 5 to 20 minutes) be compensated and included in the total hours worked for overtime calculations. However, bona fide meal periods (usually at least 30 minutes) do not count as work time and are not compensated, provided the employee is completely relieved from duty.