Supreme Court Rules for Amazon in Employee Searches Case
It is common practice for retailers to search their employees before they leave work. In a recent United States Supreme Court opinion, Integrity Staffing Solutions v. Busk, the Court ruled that workers do not have a federal right to be paid for the time spent in these post-shift employee searches. This decision will save businesses billions of dollars, including companies like Amazon, who is projected to save over $100 million.
In the opinion the justices unanimously rejected former Amazon warehouse workers claims that Amazon and the company that staffs several Amazon facilities were not fairly compensated for their time during these employee searches, and that Amazon and the staffing company were therefore violating federal wage laws. Integrity Staffing Solutions v. Busk, 574 U. S. ____ (2014).
The opinion of the Court centered on what constitutes a “principal activity.” Under the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act, workers must be compensated for their principal activities, which the Supreme Court previously described as activities that are “integral and indispensable” to the job itself. The Court found that the security screenings at issue did not constitute principal activities, as they were not integral and indispensable parts of the job. Therefore, there is no need for companies to compensate their employees for the time they spend waiting to be searched and the time of the employee search.
Amazon’s position was that employee searches help protect against theft, and is necessary but not part of the employees’ jobs. This ruling may shield several other companies who use employee searches from facing similar claims, including Apple, Ross Stores Inc., CVS Health Corp., and J.C. Penney Co. If the Supreme Court had decided for the workers, Amazon and the various staffing agencies it uses could have been liable for the back wages of as many as 400,000 workers, amounting to $100 million or more.
Ezer Williamson Law provides a wide range of both transactional and litigation services to individuals and businesses. We have successfully prosecuted and defended various types of business and property claims. Contact us at (310) 277-7747 to see how we can help you with your business law concerns.
