Ibp, Inc. v. Alvarez

546 U.S. 21 (2005)

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Nature of the Case

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Facts

D is a large producer of fresh beef, pork, and related products. At its plant, it employs approximately 178 workers in 113 job classifications in the slaughter division and 800 line workers in 145 job classifications in the processing division. All production workers in both divisions must wear outer garments, hardhats, hairnets, earplugs, gloves, sleeves, aprons, leggings, and boots. Many of them, particularly those who use knives, must also wear a variety of protective equipment for their hands, arms, torsos, and legs; this gear includes chain-link metal aprons, vests, plexiglass armguards, and special gloves. D requires its employees to store their equipment and tools in company locker rooms, where most of them don their protective gear. D currently pays only for time spent cutting and bagging meat. Pay begins with the first piece of meat and ends with the last piece of meat. D also pays for four minutes of clothes-changing time. Ps filed this class action to recover compensation for preproduction and postproduction work, including the time spent donning and doffing protective gear and walking between the locker rooms and the production floor before and after their assigned shifts. The court held that donning and doffing of protective gear that was unique to the jobs at issue were compensable under the FLSA because they were integral and indispensable to the work of the employees who wore such equipment. Continuous workday rule, the District Court concluded that, for those employees required to don and doff unique protective gear, the walking time between the locker room and the production floor was also compensable because it occurs during the workday. The court did not allow any recovery for ordinary clothes changing and washing or for the 'donning and doffing of hard hats, ear plugs, safety glasses, boots [or] hairnets.' The Court found that under its view of what was covered by the FLSA, processing division knife users were entitled to compensation for between 12 and 14 minutes of preproduction and postproduction work, including 3.3 to 4.4 minutes of walking time. The Court of Appeals affirmed. It reasoned that whether activities ''are an integral and indispensable part of the principal activities'' within the meaning of Steiner is 'context-specific.' It held there was a distinction between the burdensome donning and doffing of elaborate protective gear, on the one hand, and the time spent donning and doffing nonunique gear such as hardhats and safety goggles, on the other. It did so not because donning and doffing nonunique gear are categorically excluded from being 'principal activities' as defined by the Portal-to-Portal Act, but rather because, in the context of this case, the time employees spent donning and doffing nonunique protective gear was ''de minimis as a matter of law.'' D appealed. D contends that the walking between the locker rooms and the production areas is excluded from FLSA coverage by § 4(a)(1) of the Portal-to-Portal Act.