To prevent theft, many stores require their employees to submit to bag searches before leaving work for the day. The problem is that hourly employees are claiming that they “punch out” before the searches are conducted, and are therefore uncompensated for the time they spend waiting in line for, and undergoing, the searches. In a recent lawsuit against Apple Inc., for example, an employee claimed that his bag was checked but that he was never compensated for his time because he was off the clock.
We are actively investigating a potential class action against retailers that do not pay their hourly employees for time spent undergoing mandatory searches. If you or someone you know works for a store that requires uncompensated searches, please contact us to discuss your legal options.