A recent ruling in Washington State has sparked significant discussions about updated labor rights in our state: the Androckitis vs. Virginia Mason Medical Center (2024) case has established that employees are entitled to compensation for all interrupted meal breaks and may be entitled to more than one compensated break per shift. The court held that if employees do not receive a rescheduled, uninterrupted 30-minute meal break, employers must pay employees an additional 30 minutes for each missed meal period. As this ruling takes effect, it’s essential for both employees and employers to understand its implications.
The Details of the Ruling
Washington State law now mandates that non-exempt (hourly) employees receive a fully compensated 30-minute meal break if they work for any amount of time during their designated break period, and can be eligible for pay for more than one interrupted break per shift. In earlier interpretations of the meal and rest break period employees were compensated for the time worked during the break period. However, the Androckitis case has added a critical dimension to this regulation. In this case, the court ruled that when an employee’s meal break is interrupted—they perform any kind of work— they are entitled to another 30 minutes of pay as a penalty in addition to the 30 minutes paid for working during their break time. This distinction is straightforward: if an employee cannot take an uninterrupted break, then that time should be compensated…