DOL Issues Second Administrator Interpretation Over Time Spent Donning and Doffing Protective Equipment

On June 16, 2010, Nancy J. Leppink, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, issued the second in her inaugural series of Administrator's Interpretations. Unfortunately, this newest interpretation (pdf), like the first, seems to reflect a continued effort by the Wage and Hour Division to reject certain key interpretations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) issued during the Bush Administration. 

In the latest interpretation, the Administrator examines whether protective equipment worn by union employees can be considered "clothes" for purposes of section 203(o) of the FLSA and whether clothes changing covered by section 3(o) constitutes a principal work activity.  Continue reading this entry at Littler's Wage & Hour Counsel blog. 

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