WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a case that could have clarified when employers are required to compensate employees for time spent on preshift tasks necessary for their jobs.
The case involved approximately 1,000 rig hands who worked on oil and gas drilling platforms for Precision Drilling Corp. The rig hands, led by Rodney Tyger and Shawn Wadsworth, argued that the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) mandates compensation for time spent donning safety gear such as coveralls, goggles, and hard hats before their shifts.
The Third Circuit had ruled in favor of the rig hands in August 2023, stating that such tasks are integral and indispensable to their principal work duties. Precision Drilling petitioned the Supreme Court for review in February 2024, challenging the Third Circuit’s decision.
Key Legal Points
The FLSA was amended by the Portal to Portal Act of 1946, which clarifies that tasks “preliminary to or postliminary to” someone’s principal duties are not compensable. However, the Supreme Court has interpreted these tasks as integral and indispensable if they are essential to the job.
