Apple Must Pay Employees for Time Spent Waiting for Mandatory Bag Searches
A class-action lawsuit against Apple that was made back in 2013 now has a resolution 7 years later. The California Supreme Court has decided that Apple is now required to pay its employees for the amount of time it takes for their personal bags and belongings to be searched after their shifts. The class-action lawsuit was filed back in 2013, and it claimed that all Apple employees were required to have their bags, brief cases, and personal Apple devices searched prior to them leaving the store for the day. Retail workers would be required to wait anywhere from 5 to 45 minutes after their shift until a manager or security officer could search their belongings. The employees were not paid wages for the time they spent waiting and participating in the search.
The class-action lawsuit was dismissed by a California judge in 2015, but it was appealed later on. The United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals then wanted clarification from the California Supreme Court regarding the state law that was in place. After several years, the California Supreme Court has now decided to rule in favor of the Apple retail workers. According to the report, Apple violated state laws when it did not pay the employees wages while they were waiting for mandatory bag searches at the end of their shifts. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, stated that he was unaware of the bag search policy until two employees complained to him directly about the issue. The ruling of this case could mean Apple is required to pay millions of dollars in unpaid employee wages due to the amount of time spent on the bag searches at the end of employee shifts. The Ninth Circuit will now help determine how to interpret the state law.
If you’ve been wrongfully terminated from your job in retaliation for exercising a legal workplace right, or if you believe you have not received adequate wages for hours worked, please contact the attorneys at the California Employment Legal Group today for a free consultation with an experienced employment lawyer who will clearly explain your rights and options under the law.