Free restaurant template · Policy

Restaurant employee meal policy template

A shift meal and meal break policy for a Massachusetts restaurant. It covers what staff can eat, when breaks happen and, if you charge for meals, the written consent the state requires.

Free to use and edit. These are starting drafts, not legal advice: have an employment attorney review any policy before you rely on it.

The template

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[Restaurant name]

Employee Meal and Break Policy

Shift meals

Employees working a shift of [__] hours or more may have one shift meal from the staff menu: [list or describe]. Meals are eaten in [staff area], not on the line or in view of guests.

[Option A: Shift meals are free.] [Option B: Shift meals are offered through the voluntary meal plan below.]

Meal breaks

If you work more than six hours, you get a 30-minute meal break.
The break is unpaid when you are fully relieved of duties and free to leave the building. Clock out and back in.
If a manager asks you to keep working or stay available during your break, the time is paid. Tell the manager so your timecard is corrected.
Managers schedule breaks so sections and stations are covered. Ask before you go.

Food and drink during service

Water is available to all staff throughout the shift.
Eating and drinking are kept out of food prep areas and guest view.
Food that is being discarded or sent back is not staff food unless a manager approves it.

Staff discount

Off the clock, employees receive [__%] off food for themselves and [up to __ guests]. Alcohol [is / is not] included.

Voluntary meal plan (complete only if the restaurant charges for meals)

The restaurant offers meals at the following prices: breakfast $[__], lunch $[__], dinner $[__]. Taking part is your choice. You are charged only for meals you choose and actually eat, and you may withdraw at any time by telling a manager in writing.

I choose to take part in the meal plan and authorize the charges above.
I choose not to take part.

I have read this policy and had the chance to ask questions about it.

Employee:Date:

Manager:Date:

Starting draft from Back of House Ops (backhousehr.com). Edit it to fit your restaurant. It is not legal advice.

Massachusetts rules

The rules that apply to this document

Quoted from our answer library, where each one links to the official source.

Can a restaurant charge staff for shift meals?
Only if the employee chooses to take the meal and actually eats it, after written notice of the plan and the price and the employee's voluntary written acceptance. The maximum charges are $1.50 for breakfast, $2.25 for lunch and $2.25 for dinner.
Full answer and official source
Do restaurant workers get a meal break in Massachusetts?
Yes. Anyone working more than six hours in a calendar day gets at least a 30-minute meal break. It can be unpaid only if the worker is free of all duties and free to leave; if you ask them to keep working or stay on site, the break is paid.
Full answer and official source
Do we have to give 10- or 15-minute rest breaks?
No. Neither Massachusetts nor federal law requires short rest breaks. If you do offer breaks of about 5 to 20 minutes, federal law treats them as paid working time that counts toward overtime.
Full answer and official source
Can I deduct breakage, register shortages or a walkout from an employee's pay?
Generally no. The Supreme Judicial Court held in Camara v. Attorney General (2011) that an employer may not deduct from earned wages unless the law allows it or there is a "clear and established debt", and an employer's own finding that an employee was at fault does not qualify, even if the employee agreed.
Full answer and official source

Rules checked against official sources on September 24, 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice.

Where restaurants go wrong

Automatically deducting a meal charge from every shift, whether or not the employee ate.
Charging more than the state maximums, or charging without the signed opt-in.
Auto-deducting 30 minutes for a break that did not happen on a slammed Saturday.

Your restaurant remains the employer of record and approves payroll and employment decisions. BOHO is not a PEO, a staffing agency, or legal counsel. This template is a starting draft for you to edit. It does not decide how the rules apply to your restaurant, so have counsel review any policy or separation before you rely on it.

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Your restaurant remains the employer of record and approves payroll and employment decisions. BOHO is not a PEO, a staffing agency, or legal counsel.