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In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court has ruled that ?donning and doffing? safety gear before and after shifts need not be paid time for employees. Federal law excludes ?changing clothes? from the time that an employee must be paid for, which the justices have ruled includes safety gear necessary to perform the jobs at U.S. Steel. The employees, current and former, at U.S. Steel?s Gary, Indiana plant had argued that personal protective equipment was not regarded as an ?article of dress?. Justice Scalia, who wrote the majority opinion for the case, argued that while not an expert in personal protective equipment, that justices shouldn?t have to be, but rather must establish a ruling which will make it possible for lower courts to rule correctly on similar cases in the future. In the ruling, ear plugs, safety glasses, and respirators, which are also personal protective equipment, are listed specifically as non-clothing items, but the justices did not clarify further.