Chicago Business Litigation Lawyer Blog
For the past few years, many of the large employers across the country have had to face the possibility of redefining what they consider to be “work.” The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not provide a definition of “work,” although the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) does define a “workday” as beginning with the first “principal activity” the employee performs and ending with the last “principal activity” they perform. But what can and cannot be considered a “principal activity” has long been debated between employers and their workers.
In general, anything that is required by the employer and provides a direct benefit to the employer qualifies as a “principal activity,” but the courts continue to go back and forth about the kinds of activities that meet this requirement. For example, many employees argue that the time they spend putting on protective gear when they’re required to wear it while performing their jobs constitutes a principal activity, and as such, they should be paid for that time. Not every employer agrees with that assertion and the DOL itself has gone back and forth on whether employees should be paid for that time. Continue reading ›