PRINTER'S NO. 1761
No. 1469 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY SURRA, WALKO, LAUGHLIN, JAROLIN, TIGUE, BELARDI,
STABACK, YOUNGBLOOD, STURLA, BELFANTI, TRELLO, ITKIN,
VAN HORNE AND M. COHEN, MAY 7, 1997
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LABOR RELATIONS, MAY 7, 1997
AN ACT
1 Providing a meal or rest period for employees after working a
2 specified number of hours.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Short title.
6 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Rest Period
7 for Workers Act.
8 Section 2. Five-hour work periods, 30-minute meal or 30-minute
9 rest periods between work periods.
10 (a) General rule.--No individual shall be employed or
11 permitted to work for more than five hours continuously in or in
12 connection with any establishment without a meal or rest period
13 of at least 30 minutes, which period shall not be considered a
14 part of the hours of labor, and no period of less than 30-
15 minutes shall be deemed to interrupt a continuous period of
16 work.
17 (b) Exceptions.--Employees shall not be required to remain
1 in the workrooms or at their work stations during the meal or
2 rest periods required by this section, provided, however, that
3 where the strict application of the 30-minute meal or 30-minute
4 rest periods impose an unnecessary hardship on employers and
5 employees or a limitation on the job opportunities of employees,
6 the Secretary of Labor and Industry may grant upon written
7 application of an employer an exception from the strict
8 observance of this requirement.
9 (c) Exclusion.--Employees of police and fire departments,
10 public ambulance and emergency medical services are excluded
11 from the provisions of this act.
12 Section 3. Exceptions.
13 This act shall not apply to employers who are bound by the
14 terms of a collective bargaining agreement which provides for
15 meals or rest periods.
16 Section 4. Effective date.
17 This act shall take effect immediately.
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