In the fast-paced world of healthcare, taking meal and rest breaks are beneficial not only for employee well-being but also for patient care. Taking breaks helps care teams recharge so they can continue delivering high-quality care to patients.
Beginning Jan. 6, 2025, UW Medicine will implement a new process for scheduling meal and rest breaks. This process will apply to all overtime-eligible employees, with additional provisions for employees in jobs covered by a new Washington state law.
In preparation for going live, overtime-eligible employees will need to complete an assigned training module, and job aids will be available from their managers.
Daily attestations and waivers
While overtime-eligible employees will continue to receive 15-minute rest breaks every four hours and a 30-minute meal break every five hours, they will need to attest daily at the end of their shift in Kronos or on a departmental form whether they have taken or missed their breaks. They will also need to complete a voluntary waiver form (AMC login required) to request flexibility in the timing of their breaks, to combine rest breaks with a meal and to waive a second meal period for a 10-hour or longer shift.
Employees covered by the new law
The Washington state law applies to employees who receive an hourly wage and/or are covered by a collective bargaining agreement. They must also be involved in direct patient care and/or clinical services. It does not apply to UW Medicine Primary Care. Please refer to the UW Medicine list of covered job profiles (AMC login required) for details.
Covered employees will be required to attest daily and to use the voluntary waiver form to change the timing of their meal and rest breaks. In addition, their breaks must be scheduled in advance, uninterrupted and documented. UW Medicine will document all breaks for covered employees and provide a quarterly compliance report to the state.
For more information, please visit our HR website (AMC login required), which has resources, policy guidelines and FAQs.
