Member survey finds most are not getting their meal and rest breaks 

Last month, WSNA surveyed our members to check on their perspective of how the new meal and rest break law was working.

The survey was included in an article on hospitals’ compliance with the meal and rest breaks law implemented in July 2024.

While data sent to the Department of Labor and Industries found that nearly all but one hospitals achieved 80% meal and rest break compliance during the first required quarterly report, our survey of members told a different story.

Of the 266 people who took the survey, just 19 percent said they were able to be relieved of patient assignments to get their required break.

Most of responders, 76 percent, said they missed a meal or rest break without reporting it missed.

The reasons varied.

Thirty percent said it was due to insufficient staffing, 25 percent said they didn’t want to burden co-workers with caring for more patients, 19 percent said they didn’t want to be counseled on time management, 16 percent said it was because of retaliation from a manager, and 12 percent said other.

According to the survey, just 16 percent said a break relief nurse was the primary source for getting breaks. Forty-five percent selected a break buddy as the primary source, 13 percent listed a charge nurse who does not take patients, 12 percent selected a resource nurse, and 14 percent listed other.

Note: It is anticipated that there will be modifications to the meal and rest break law this legislative session to offer increased flexibility for workers. Stay tuned for those changes in a future issue. For additional detail on the meal and rest break law, see the Labor and Industries Administrative Policy at HLS.A.2.