# Italian judicial rulings on worker meal voucher rights > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/italian-judicial-rulings-on-worker-meal-voucher-rights > Updated: 2026-10-07T13:45:09.000Z. Sources: 6. Developments: 2. Legal disputes regarding meal voucher entitlements for shift workers in Italy have seen significant developments through judicial rulings. The Italian Supreme Court (Corte di Cassazione) established that employees are entitled to meal vouchers once a work shift exceeds six consecutive hours, regardless of whether the worker can physically leave their workstation. The Court clarified that these vouchers serve an “assistential” purpose to meet physiological needs rather than a purely “retributive” one. Following this legal precedent, the Court of Campobasso ruled against the regional health authority Asrem. The court found Asrem’s internal regulations illegitimate because they required shifts to exceed eight hours to qualify for benefits, contradicting national regulations and Supreme Court jurisprudence. Asrem has been ordered to compensate nurses from Cardarelli Hospital for economic damages resulting from unpaid meal vouchers. ## Timeline ### 2026-10-07: Asrem ordered to pay nurses meal voucher compensation The Court of Campobasso ruled against Asrem, affirming that nurses working shifts over six hours are entitled to meal vouchers or breaks, overturning previous restrictive company regulations. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/asrem-ordered-to-pay-nurses-meal-voucher-compensation ### 2026-10-04: Italian Supreme Court rules on meal voucher rights for shift workers The Italian Supreme Court ruled that shift workers, including healthcare staff, are entitled to meal vouchers for shifts exceeding six hours, even if they cannot leave their workstation to eat. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/italian-supreme-court-rules-on-meal-voucher-rights-for-shift-workers --- Cite as: Italian judicial rulings on worker meal voucher rights. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/italian-judicial-rulings-on-worker-meal-voucher-rights