BILL REQ. #: H-5079.1
| State of Washington | 61st Legislature | 2010 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 02/09/10.
AN ACT Relating to meal and rest breaks for employees of hospitals; and adding a new section to chapter 49.12 RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 A new section is added to chapter 49.12 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) A hospital licensed under chapter 70.41 RCW shall provide
employees uninterrupted thirty-minute meal breaks and rest breaks of at
least ten minutes or as otherwise agreed to be provided by the
employer, whichever is longer, unless there is:
(a) An unforeseeable emergent circumstance as defined in RCW
49.28.130; or
(b) A clinical circumstance that may lead to patient harm without
the specific skill or expertise of the employee on break.
(2) Rest breaks may be taken at any point during each four-hour
work period during which the employee is required to receive the rest
break.
(3) As an exception to the rest break requirement of subsection (1)
of this section, an employee may temporarily choose to take shorter
rest breaks equivalent to at least ten minutes during each four-hour
work period.
(4) Reporting a missed break is not grounds for discrimination,
dismissal, discharge, or any other penalty, threat of reports for
discipline, or employment decision adverse to the employee.
(5) For purposes of this section, "employee" means a person who is
involved in direct patient care activities or clinical services,
receives an hourly wage, and is a:
(a) Licensed practical nurse or a registered nurse licensed under
chapter 18.79 RCW;
(b) Surgical technologist registered under chapter 18.215 RCW;
(c) Radiologic technologist certified under chapter 18.84 RCW;
(d) Respiratory care practitioner licensed under chapter 18.89 RCW;
(e) Cardiovascular technologist or technician who conducts tests on
pulmonary or cardiovascular systems of patients for diagnostic
purposes; or
(f) Diagnostic medical sonographer who produces ultrasonic
recordings of internal organs.