Give Health Care Workers a Break

In Washington state, for example, most hospitals are required to submit quarterly reports on meal and rest break compliance. In April through June 2025, it was reported that all forty-five reporting hospital facilities achieved the state-mandated 80 percent threshold, and 43 topped 90 percent compliance. But a 2025 Washington State Nurses Association member survey told a different story. It found that only 19 percent of the 266 respondents reported they were consistently relieved of patient duties during breaks.