Jury finds systemic wage violations for more than 33,000 hourly employees in Washington state based on unlawful timeclock rounding and second meal period violations.
SEATTLE, WA — The judgment in Bennett, et. al v. Providence Health & Services, was entered in King County Superior Court today, the culmination of a two-week trial which took place late last month. Providence is ordered to pay more than 33,000 of its hourly employees more than $229 million, exposing years of wage violations due to unlawful time rounding and meal period violations.
The class-action complaint was initially filed in 2021 on behalf of Providence nurses, technicians, medical assistants, and other hourly caregivers. It alleged Providence both systematically denied statutorily required second meal periods and consistently underpaid workers by using an unlawful timeclock rounding policy. An analysis of timeclock and pay records of hourly workers found that over the course of 5 years, Providence failed to pay for more than 234,000 hours of time worked.
The jury awarded $90.3 million for unpaid and missed second meal breaks, with an additional $9.3 million for unpaid wages due to rounding. Just over $1.3 million was deducted based on employees who knowingly waived their second meal breaks. The total damages were doubled due to the Court’s summary judgement ruling in January of this year, which found Providence willfully committed these wage violations. Statutory interest brings the total owed to more than $229 million.
“It was a good day for healthcare workers in Washington,” said Jason Rittereiser, managing partner of HKM’s Seattle office who represented the healthcare workers. “This verdict will impact workers not just in Washington but throughout the country. It sends a clear message to healthcare corporations everywhere: if you withhold wages from your employees, you will be held accountable.”
The 33,000 health care workers in the class are represented by HKM Employment Attorneys and Peter Stutheit of Stutheit Kalin, LLC. The class is comprised of all hourly workers employed at Providence in Washington state who lost wages due to these practices between September 2018 and May 2023.
More information can be found at hkm.com/bennett-v-providence/.
CONTACT:
HKM Employment Attorneys LLP
www.hkm.com
Ali O’Neil
(206) 960-4492
