View this article online: https://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/mag-features/2021/08/02/625023.htm
A class-action lawsuit brought by thousands of nurses who said they weren’t properly paid for lunch and other breaks has settled with Kitsap County’s main health care system, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health.
Under the $5.5 million settlement, nurses will receive an average payment of $510, their attorneys said. Actual amounts depend on wages and other factors.
The case filed by a nurse at the former Harrison Medical Center included more than 7,000 employees of Virginia Mason Franciscan. The suit, filed in 2019, accused the healthcare system of violating the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and state law. It claimed nurses who worked shifts of 12 hours or more, “experience significant amounts of pre- and post-shift off-the-clock work, including unpaid, on-duty time preparing for their days before clocking in as well as completing charting and patient paperwork.”
Virginia Mason Franciscan spokesperson Cary Evans said they’re committed to fair compensation. “We strongly deny that we have violated any wage and hour laws,” he said. “However, we believe the best use of our resources is to move forward and focus on providing top-quality patient care, rather than further extending a costly and time-consuming legal case.”