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Securing the Bag: California Supreme Court Rules Exit Searches Compensable

3/2/20

By: Gregory Blueford

Shunning the position of the United State Supreme Court’s decision in Busk v. Integrity Staffing Solutions, Inc., the California Supreme Court has ruled that time spent on the employer’s premises waiting for and undergoing company-mandated exit searches of bags and personal technology devices brought to work purely for personal convenience by employees is compensable as “hours worked” in California.
In Frlekin v. Apple, Inc., the employer, Apple, had a bag search policy that required search of employees’ bags, packages, purses, backpacks, briefcases, and personal Apple technology devices whenever the employee left the store. Apple said the time spent waiting for and undergoing these searches was not compensable as “hours worked” in California, in part because employees could opt not to take a bag and therefore would not be required to undergo the search; in other words, the decision to bring a bag to work was “voluntary.”
The California Supreme Court said that the California Wage Orders had to be reviewed “liberally” and with an eye towards “protecting and benefiting employees.” The Court ruled that Apple’s search policy “controlled” employees by (1) requiring employees to comply with the policy under the threat of discipline, including termination, (2) confined employees to the premises as they waited for and underwent a search, and (3) required employees to complete tasks while awaiting and during the search like finding a manager and waiting for that person to conduct the search, thus, making the time is compensable. The California Supreme Court reasoned that the wage and hour standards of the Fair Labor Standards Act and subsequent decision in Busk, which generally exempts non-required work activities, “differs substantially” from California law, and that a State may enact law that provides employees greater protection than the FLSA, which California has done.
Employers with bag or any similar exit searches must be weary of this decision and ensure that this time is considered compensable and employees stay on the clock until the conclusion of the search.
If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Greg Blueford at gblueford@fmglaw.com.