The company had failed to pay the workers for time spent putting on and removing clothes and protective gear, which Labor Department officials claim to be part of work-related safety procedures. Perdue believed this activity should be considered part of employees’ personal time. The Labor Department has now sued Tyson Foods for similar wage and hour violations.
See "Poultry Plants to Pay Workers10 Million in Compensation", Steven Greenhouse, The New York Times, May 9, 2002