HB 6592 Summary

• Requires employers to provide a duty-free meal period of at least 30 consecutive minutes for employees whose work shift exceeds 5 consecutive hours.

• Allows employers to provide paid on-duty meal periods instead of duty-free periods when the nature of the business makes duty-free periods impractical; on-duty meal periods must be paid and cannot be deducted from wages.

• Exempts employees covered by collective bargaining agreements, emergency medical response workers, and managers from meal period requirements.

• Establishes enforcement through the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, with employees able to file complaints within 2 years (or 3 years if willful); violations subject to civil fines up to $500.

• Prohibits employer retaliation or discrimination against employees for exercising rights under the act and requires employers to maintain 5-year records of hours worked and post notices of employee rights.