The Washington State Supreme Court has ruled that hospitals must pay overtime to nurses when they do not receive breaks during their shifts, according to a Puget Sound Business Journal report.
The decision ends a 2007 lawsuit filed by the Washington State Nurses Association against Sacred Heart Medical Center, part of Renton, Wash.-based Providence Health & Services, located in Spokane. The WSNA sued the hospital to recover unpaid wages for when nurses' duties prevented them from taking a rest period.
The hospital was ordered to pay regular damages — WSNA's attorneys fees, costs for the lawsuit and recovered wages to employees the hospital owed, according to the report. But the Supreme Court's decision sets a precedent. Therefore, any hospital in Washington that fails to pay nurses for missed breaks in the future will be subject to double damages, attorney's fees and costs.
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The decision ends a 2007 lawsuit filed by the Washington State Nurses Association against Sacred Heart Medical Center, part of Renton, Wash.-based Providence Health & Services, located in Spokane. The WSNA sued the hospital to recover unpaid wages for when nurses' duties prevented them from taking a rest period.
The hospital was ordered to pay regular damages — WSNA's attorneys fees, costs for the lawsuit and recovered wages to employees the hospital owed, according to the report. But the Supreme Court's decision sets a precedent. Therefore, any hospital in Washington that fails to pay nurses for missed breaks in the future will be subject to double damages, attorney's fees and costs.
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