Oct. 30 is the deadline for most hospitals to submit their first quarterly report on meal and rest break compliance to the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I).
L&I’s Healthcare Standards Program provides the report form and a guidance document. Simply click on the “Medical facilities, hospitals” tab. The webpage also includes resources like L&I administrative policies regarding meal and rest breaks and a 30-minute webinar (in English) about the new requirements.
For assistance with the form or submissions, contact healthcarelaborstandards@Lni.wa.gov.
What’s happening
Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5236 became law in 2023. It clarifies labor standards and enforcement regarding uninterrupted meal and rest breaks for certain health care workers, mandatory overtime and hospital staffing.
For meal and rest breaks, the first reporting period for most hospitals began July 1, 2024 and ended Sept. 30. Under the law, L&I will review the compliance reports to ensure employers meet 80% of required meal and rest breaks in a quarter for covered employees.
The next period begins Oct. 1 and ends Dec. 30. The quarterly report will be due to L&I on Jan. 31, 2025.
Hospitals qualifying for a delay
There is a delay in reporting requirements for smaller and more remote medical facilities, including:
- Critical care hospitals
- Hospitals with fewer than 25 acute care licensed beds
- Sole community hospitals independent of a health system
- Hospitals located on an island operating within a public hospital district in Skagit county
They are currently exempt from reporting.
What’s next
The following are key dates to keep in mind:
- Until June 30, 2026, L&I will provide technical assistance for hospitals failing to meet the standard, or failing to file a report.
- Starting July 1, 2026, the agency can impose penalties for most hospitals failing to meet the 80 percent standard. The penalties range from $5,000-$20,000, depending on the size of the hospital.
- Also starting July 1, 2026, smaller and more remote medical facilities will also be required to submit quarterly reports. Those include hospitals with fewer than 25 acute care licensed beds, or sole community hospitals independent of a health system. They are exempt from reporting until that time.
