Italian courts order compensation for doctors denied statutory rest

The Labour Court in Larino (Molise) ruled that Asrem must compensate two senior doctors after they were required to work immediately after on‑call duty on holidays without receiving the legally mandated compensatory rest. Judge Silvia Cucchiella recognized a non‑pecuniary injury, citing constitutional principles that safeguard the right to rest.

Similarly, the Labour Court in Marsala (Sicily) condemned the ASP of Trapani for systematic breaches of work‑time limits at the Paolo Borsellino Hospital, ordering payment to four senior paediatric and neonatal physicians. The judge noted that the “systematic over‑stepping of contractual limits” had deprived the doctors of weekly rest and accrued vacation, causing psychological and physical harm.

Both decisions underscore growing legal scrutiny of staffing shortages and work‑time violations in Italy’s public health system, establishing precedents for compensation when medical staff are denied statutory rest periods.