Wednesday, March 31, 2010
House Approves Shift Breaks Bill
The House of Delegates passed legislation (HB 1299) to require retailers with more than 50 employees to provide 15-minute break for employees who work between four and six consecutive hours and a 30-minute break for employees who work more than 6 consecutive hours. The bill passed by a 93-43 vote. The Senate version of the bill (SB 789) has been approved by the Finance Committee and is nearing final approval on the Senate floor.
As amended, the bills do not apply to restaurants; state, county and municipal governments; employers exempt from overtime pay requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act; franchises with five or fewer employees on site; and those covered by a collective bargaining agreement or employment policy that includes a shift break policy equal or greater than this bill.
The Maryland Chamber opposes the legislation. While well intentioned, we believe the legislation adds unnecessary new administrative burdens to impacted employers, most of whom already provide shift breaks to employees. The bills would not allow employers the flexibility sometimes needed to deal with emergencies that could require an employee to work for longer than six consecutive hours without a break.
For more information, contact Allyson Black at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
