9th Circuit Rules Apple Owes Retail Workers for Time Spent in Security Screenings

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday said Apple must pay over 12,000 retail workers in California for the time spent waiting for compulsory bag searches at the end of their shifts (via Reuters).

A unanimous three-judge panel reversed a judge who had tossed the case and ordered him to enter summary judgment for the plaintiffs, after the California Supreme Court in response to certified questions in the case said in February that time spent undergoing security checks is compensable under state law.

The unanimous court decision, which dates back to a class action lawsuit filed against Apple in 2013, lines up with a previous California Supreme Court ruling that determined that staff time spent in security screenings was compensable.

Employees alleged that Apple subjected them to mandatory bag checks that were conducted off the clock, leaving them uncompensated for their time. At the trial level, Apple actually won the lawsuit when the court ruled that Apple employees chose to bring personal bags to work and dismissed the case, but the decision was appealed and brought to a higher court.

The Ninth Circuit panel said on Wednesday that the U.S. District Court that handled the original lawsuit had mistaken in its judgement when it sided with Apple over the case.

Apple requires all personal packages, bags, and Apple devices that belong to retail employees to be checked by a manager or security before an employee is allowed to leave the store for any reason, including breaks, lunch, and the end of shifts.

Employees are also required to clock out before submitting to an exit search, and have estimated that the time spent waiting and undergoing searches ranges from five to 20 minutes. On busy days, some employees have waited for up to 45 minutes waiting for a bag check.

Prior evaluation of the case, which reached class action lawsuit status in 2015, suggested that Apple could have to pay as much as $60 million should it be required to offer employees back compensation for the time spent undergoing bag checks.Tags: lawsuit, Apple retail
This article, “9th Circuit Rules Apple Owes Retail Workers for Time Spent in Security Screenings” first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

MacRumors-All?d=6W8y8wAjSf4 MacRumors-All?d=qj6IDK7rITs

Related posts

Latest posts

I tried Opera’s new browser for mindfulness — here’s how it went

I tried Opera's new web browser that comes with features to help you relax and unwind. Here's how it turned out to be.

Galaxy AI helped Samsung reach a massive smartphone milestone

For the first time since 2018, Samsung managed to snag a spot in the global top-selling smartphone model ranks, thanks to AI push on the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Exciting new software wants to be the Android of smartglasses

A new operating system, which wants to be the Android of smartglasses, has been announced. What's more, you can try it out today with the right hardware.

I’ve been dying for Steam Deck frame generation — so why is it so disappointing?

You can finally use frame generation in almost any game on the Steam Deck, but make sure to keep your expectations in check.

Adobe’s new AI assistant will finally demystify your phone contract

Adobe is offering a $5/month AI add-on that can scan, analyze, and summarize legal contracts with a single click.

We finally have good news about AMD’s RX 9070 XT

Details have been light about AMD's upcoming RX 9070 XT, but we finally have some good news to share about the GPU.

These fake RTX 5090 listings aren’t ‘anti-bot’ — they’re scams

Scalpers are selling fake Nvidia RTX 5090 GPUs on eBay while claiming they’re just trying to fool automated bots. In reality, they’re anti-consumer scams.

Plan special events easily with the new Apple Invites app

It's official! There's a new app available from the iPhone maker, Apple Invites.

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 15: worth jumping ship?

The iPhone 15 is a powerful phone, but how does it compare to the new Samsung Galaxy S25? Read on to find out.

Smartphones in 2025 are fun again — if you look beyond the carriers

Yes, phones you can get from AT&T or Verizon are getting stale. But there are a lot more great phones