Court: Companies must pay for PPE-donning time

Companies must pay plant workers for the time it takes to change into protective clothing and walk to their workstations, according to a November 8, 2005, Supreme Court ruling.

In an unanimous vote, the court said although employers are not required to pay workers for time spent changing clothes, they must pay for time spent donning "integral" gear and walking to the production area.

The ruling upheld a decision of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in favor of workers at a meat pr4ocessing plant in Pasco, WA.

Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao called the Supreme Court's ruling "a tremendous victory for low-wage workers across the counrty".