WhidbeyHealth faces class-action lawsuit over wage and break allegations

A former employee has filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against WhidbeyHealth in Island County Superior Court, alleging the public hospital district violated labor laws regarding pay and breaks.

The lawsuit, filed by former environmental services technician Kai Watson, claims the hospital’s timekeeping system systematically shortchanged hourly, nonexempt employees. According to the complaint, the system rounded clock-in times forward and clock-out times backward, a practice that allegedly benefited the hospital and deprived workers of pay for time worked and overtime wages.

Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that WhidbeyHealth failed to provide mandatory meal and rest periods required under Washington law. The complaint states that employees were sometimes required to work more than five consecutive hours without a meal period, over 10.5 hours without a second meal period, or more than three consecutive hours without a rest period.