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Are We There Yet?: Auto Service Advisor Exempt Status Under the FLSA Makes Return Trip to the Supreme Court

11/28/17

By: Will Collins
Last year, the Supreme Court narrowly avoided a collision with the question of whether service advisors at car dealerships are exempt as “salesmen” under the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). However, as Encino Motorcars, LLC v. Navarro returns to the Supreme Court, the case is poised to squarely address this issue and, hopefully, provide much-needed clarity.
As previously discussed, the Supreme Court sent the Encino case back to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider the exempt status of service advisors, instructing the Ninth Circuit to give no deference to the Department of Labor’s (DOL) regulations providing that service advisors were not exempt.
After considering the case on remand, the Ninth Circuit still held that service advisors do not fall within the FLSA’s exemption for “salesman, partsman, or mechanic primarily engaged in selling or servicing automobiles.” As a result, the Supreme Court will again consider the exempt status of auto service advisors and all indications are that the Court will resolve the discrepancy between the DOL regulations, the Ninth Circuit decision, and prior decisions by the Fifth and Fourth Circuits.
After a long road of uncertainty, many are hopeful that the Supreme Court will provide clarity when it finally resolves this issue. As the case is scheduled for oral argument in January, we will continue to monitor the case and provide an update of any developments.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Will Collins at wcollins@fmglaw.com.