WSR 26-04-073

INTERPRETIVE OR POLICY STATEMENT

DEPARTMENT OF

LABOR AND INDUSTRIES

[Filed January 29, 2026, 8:18 a.m.]

Policy Statement

Pursuant to RCW 34.05.230, the department of labor and industries' division of labor standards issued the following policy statement.

If you have any questions or need additional information, contact Bridget Osborne at Bridget.Osborne@Lni.wa.gov or 360-902-5552.

Policy: Healthcare Labor Standards Policy HLS.A.2.

Title: Meal and Rest Break Protections for Certain Healthcare Workers.

Amended: January 29, 2026.

Effective: January 29, 2026.

Description: The purpose of this administrative policy is to describe meal and rest break protections for certain health care workers as established in chapter 49.12 RCW. Amendments to the policy are in the introduction, sections 4-8, sections 10-14, and section 16. Overall, the updated policy reflects changes to the law stemming from SHB 1879 (chapter 101, Laws of 2025) and includes:


•	Revised guidance to reflect new requirements or clarifications for meal break waivers and rest break timing waivers.
•	New and revised examples to illustrate waiver scenarios.
•	Two new examples to clarify meal break timing requirements.
•	Stylistic edits to improve the consistency or readability of the policy.

Contact: Bridget Osborne, P.O. Box 44510, Olympia, WA 98504-4510, phone 360-902-5552, email Bridget.Osborne@Lni.wa.gov.