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other bills
Some bills before the Legislature important to businesses, employees or consumers
HB 2002 — Sexual-orientation discrimination
Would make it illegal for employers to discriminate in hiring decisions on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender. Now, the law protects people from discrimination on the basis of "race, color, religion, sex, age, disability or national origin."
SB 1010 — Cell-phone users' bill of rights
Would establish a maximum length for wireless service contracts of one year. Would allow users to cancel a contract without being penalized within 30 days of the beginning of the contract.
HB2653 — R&D tax-credit enhancement
Increases the tax credits businesses could receive for spending on research and development. The intention is to encourage high-tech, high-wage companies to come to or stay in Arizona.
HB2341-2346 — Employer sanctions changes
Would change the employer-sanctions law passed last year in ways that would largely protect employers. For example, HB 2342 clarifies that independent contractors doing work for a business are not considered employees covered by the law.
S1223 – Medical malpractice bill
The bill raises the standard of proof people need to sue doctors for malpractice to "clear and convincing evidence."
What's your lunch break policy?
TMC HealthCare
"On a normal working day, you'll have a 30-minute lunch and a couple of 10-minute breaks," said spokesman Michael Letson. The company's policy recognizes "the need for employees to break away from work, especially when working long shifts," he said.
City of Tucson
The city defines a lunch break as "scheduled unpaid time off work for a meal that is not counted as hours worked for non-exempt employees." A lunch break is important for health and safety reasons, allowing workers to break away from stressful or hazardous conditions to return focused and safe, said HR Director Cindy Bezaury.
IBM
"The days of punching clocks are gone. We do not time people to take lunch breaks," said Sofia Bonnet Hollis, human-resources manager for IBM in Tucson.
"We care that people get their jobs done, but we don't care where or when they get it done" because international business happens around the clock, she said.
The company also values personal responsibility, Bonnet Hollis said. "We trust employees with choices that years ago were made for them."

Business

Legislators press for law mandating breaks, lunch times

By Becky Pallack
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 02.03.2008
Hungry workers, unite! The Arizona Legislature is starting to hear the grumbling stomachs of disgruntled employees longing for a sandwich or a bathroom break.
A bill supported by Southern Arizona Democrats would, for the first time, require Arizona employers to provide workers a lunch break. It would also require a paid 10-minute break for every four hours worked.
While most employers have policies about this, and opponents say no lunch-break law is needed, supporters say break times are a real issue for some employees, including teachers and health-care providers.
The bill's sponsor, Rep. Lynne Pancrazi, D-Yuma, said teachers often don't get a break until lunch and even then don't get an uninterrupted break.
"This would allow somebody to go to the bathroom, get a drink of water, eat a granola bar," she said. "If you have an employer who understands their employees, this isn't an issue."
A one-hour break is standard at Fluoresco Lighting-Sign Maintenance Corp., where the warehouse empties out for lunch, said Elizabeth Welsh, a warehouse worker who was having lunch with her mother and sister on Thursday at Pizza Hut, 2175 E. Irvington Road.
"There are some days you just have to get out," said Catherine Teran, Welsh's sister, adding she appreciates a lunch break. They said neither of them has ever held a job that didn't include a lunch break.
You might be surprised who doesn't get a break.
Co-sponsor Sen. Charlene Pesquiera, D-Tucson, said she has had constituents and others approach her about their lack of lunch breaks.
Caregivers in private nursing homes are working nine hours or longer with five minutes to scarf down some food without even sitting down, she said.
The proposed law "helps the working class," people who have been worried to ask for a break, Pesquiera said.
Because breaks are a standard part of union contracts, the Arizona AFL-CIO gets a lot of calls from people who don't have a lunch break and think a union could help them get one, said Rebekah Friend, executive director and secretary/treasurer. They often are in the health-care and hospitality fields, she said.
"We do need a law," Friend said. "You have to give people lunches and breaks, which on the surface would appear to be common sense."
But many business groups question the need for a law.
"A bill like this is totally unnecessary," said Paul Parisi, vice president of governmental affairs at the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.
"A bill like this burdens a business's ability to manage the way they want to manage," he said.
In a time when the unemployment rate is below 5 percent, Parisi said, businesses "do their best to accommodate their employees because we realize how valuable they are."
The bill would mandate a 30-minute lunch break in an eight-hour day and a 10-minute break every four hours.
The Industrial Commission of Arizona, which enforces other labor laws, would create rules for enforcement and exemptions.
If the bill becomes law, Arizona would join 19 other states in requiring breaks for adult workers in the private sector.
The bill has been referred to the commerce and rules committees — and even supporters doubt it will get to the hearing stage.
To write to your legislator, visit www.azleg.gov.
Find more stories about workplace news and trends at www.AzStarBiz.com greg bryan and anne kenady / Arizona Daily Star photo illustration
● Contact reporter Becky Pallack at 573-4224 or at bpallack@azstarnet.com.
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