Pay for security screening time
Integrity Staffing Solutions v. Busk
In brief
The Supreme Court ruled that the FLSA did not require Integrity Staffing to pay Busk and Castro for time spent waiting for and going through the screenings.
- Where it stands
- Decided
Decided 9-0 · December 9, 2014 · Opinion by Justice Thomas
- What it’s about
- Warehouse workers Jesse Busk and Laurie Castro sought pay for time spent waiting for and going through required security screenings at Integrity Staffing Solutions.
- Who it affects
- Busk and Castro cannot recover under the FLSA for time spent waiting for and undergoing these screenings.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
The Supreme Court unanimously overturned the Ninth Circuit and ruled that the screening time was not payable under federal wage law because the screenings were not integral to the workers’ main duties.
The dispute asked whether required security screenings counted as paid time under the Fair Labor Standards Act, as amended by the Portal-to-Portal Act.
Question presented
Is time spent undergoing security clearances compensable under the Fair Labor Standards Act as amended by the Portal-to-Portal Act of 1947?
What the Court decided
Holding
The time that respondents spent waiting to undergo and undergoing security screenings is not compensable under the FLSA. 713 F. 3d 525, reversed.
- Result
- Reversed
The Court's reasoning
The Court said the screenings were not essential to another main activity the workers were hired to perform, so waiting for and undergoing them did not qualify as paid time under the FLSA.
The vote
What's next
The ruling settles the federal wage question for these screening periods. Lower courts must apply the Court’s ruling; it does not specify a separate next step for the parties.
Documents
Opinions
Docket activity
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AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
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Opinion added: Integrity Staffing
Sources
Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.