The Supreme Court will review a pair of lower court rulings concerning whether meat-processing plants must pay their slaughterhouse workers for the time it takes to change into protective clothing. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, employers aren't required to pay workers for time spent changing clothes, however it has been argued that putting on protective gear in a hazardous profession is an integral part of the job. The ruling could have consequences for all occupations where employees spend extra time to perform duties related to their line of work.
See "Court to Hear Protective Clothing Dispute", The New York Times, February 21, 2005