Amazon has created an intricate security system to cut down on Employee theft.
Employees are required to walk through Security Checkpoints after their shifts.
These Security Lines can take almost half an hour to get through. On October 8, 2014, the Supreme Court will hear arguments as to whether this counts as time on the clock. A temp agency, Integrity Staff Solutions, that supplies many of the workers at Amazon’s Warehouses, sued demanding back pay for time spent in Security Lines.
The Employment Lawyers for the Employees argue that these Security Lines are required and part of the job, and therefore they should be compensated for this time.
The law in question is the 1947 Amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act that say Employers don’t have to pay for time spent on work-related activities. There have rulings since this Amendment, which look at whether the activity in question is Integral and Indispensable to what workers are paid to do. The court has ruled that Butchers had to be paid for time spent sharpening knives and Employees at a Battery Manufacturing Plant had to be paid for time spent showering off chemicals associated with battery manufacturing.
In the Amazon case, the question is whether these security checks are like commuting or like time spent sharpening knives and showering. Given the number of workers, there are Billions of dollars at stake in this Employment Law case.
Contact our Greensboro Employment Lawyers today if you or someone you know needs help with an Employment Law issue in Greensboro, High Point or Asheboro. 336-379-0539
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Garrett, Walker, Aycoth & Olson, Attorneys at Law
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This article explains North Carolina law in general terms. It is not legal advice about your case, and laws, penalties and court procedures change. Contact an attorney about your specific situation.