Italian courts order meal vouchers for shift‑work health staff

The Labor Court in Genoa ruled that health‑care employees working on rotating shifts are entitled to a cafeteria meal or a substitute meal voucher under the national collective agreement (article 27). The decision, brought by the UIL Funzione Pubblica after a three‑year lawsuit, overturns previous practices that excluded shift workers from the benefit and may serve as a precedent for other regional health authorities.

In a separate case, the Tribunal of Larino upheld a claim by a medical director at San Timoteo Hospital, condemning the ASREM health authority for an internal regulation that limited vouchers to 12‑hour continuous shifts or eight‑hour days. The court awarded €5,000 in damages and ordered compliance with national law, which grants the right to a meal or voucher after six hours of work. Both rulings reaffirm that shift length alone cannot be used to deny the entitlement, aligning with Cassation Court jurisprudence and potentially reshaping meal‑voucher policies across Italy’s health sector.