Bill Positions

Bill Number: HB 654

Bill Title: Labor and Employment - Shift Breaks

Bill Sponsor(s): Delegate Manno, et al.

Subject: Employer Relations

Committee: ECM

Bill Summary: Requiring an employer to provide a specified nonworking or working shift break to an employee under specified circumstances; requiring that a specified shift break count towards an employee's work hours for a specified day; authorizing health care industry employees to waive a specified shift break under specified circumstances; providing that during a shift break an employee shall hold the employer harmless against any and all claims; etc.

This Bill would: (1) require an employer to provide a one-half hour nonworking or working shift break to an employee; (2) provide that a meal period count towards an employee's work hours; (3) require an employer to pay a specified amount to an employee under specified circumstances; (4) allowe an employee specified remedies; and (5) authorize a court to award attorney's fees and costs.

History: Introduced last year as HB 1058 (NAP Bill). The bill was withdrawn.

Chamber Position: Oppose

Position Summary: This is another mandate Bill that would interfere with private sector benefits. A one-size-fits- all approach to meal period benefits already offered by most employers would create administrative burdens for the private sector and expose Maryland’s businesses unnecessarily to civil causes of action on issues that can be resolved through employer internal processes. For these reasons, the Maryland Chamber opposes this legislation.

Position Statement: Click here to download a pdf version of the Maryland Chamber's position statement.

Chamber Staff: Allyson Black

General Assembly: Click here to view the bill on the Maryland General Assembly's website.