Wage and hour rules for employees in Tennessee — overtime, minimum wage, meal and rest breaks and the final paycheck — compared with federal law, with links to the official sources.
Tennessee meal breaks
½ hour for employees scheduled to work 6 consecutive hours or more. The meal break shall not be scheduled during or before the first hour of scheduled work activity.
Coverage: Applicable to every employer, except in workplace environments that by their nature of business provide ample opportunity to take an appropriate meal break.
Federal law Federal law does not require meal breaks. A bona fide meal period (usually 30 minutes or more) when the employee is completely relieved from duty does not have to be paid.
Tennessee final paycheck
Fired or laid off: No later than the next regular payday after discharge, or 21 days after discharge, whichever occurs last. Quit: The same rule applies: the next regular payday or 21 days after leaving, whichever occurs last. The law does not treat quitting with or without notice differently.
Citation: Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-2-103(g)
Federal law Federal law does not require immediate payment of final wages; they are due by the next regular payday.
Same as federal law
- Minimum wage
- No state minimum wage law. The federal minimum wage applies.
- Overtime
- The U.S. Department of Labor lists no state overtime premium for this state; the federal FLSA rule (1.5× after 40 hours a week) applies to covered employers.
- Rest breaks
- No state requirement for paid rest breaks for adult employees in the private sector (“States not listed do not require paid rest periods” — U.S. Department of Labor). Federal law does not require breaks either; short breaks that are given must be paid.
Find your state labor department (U.S. Department of Labor directory). Data last reviewed September 28, 2026.