Dive Brief:

• The U.S. Supreme Court will take up a case where Amazon warehouse workers sued for compensation for time spent waiting for anti-theft measures like going through metal detectors.

• The suit was originally filed by employees of Integrity Staffing Solutions Inc., a temp agency used by Amazon. The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed an earlier ruling, saying the retailer did have to pay workers for time spent at anti-theft checks.

• Business advocates had hoped the Supreme Court would take up the case, which involves the Fair Labor Relations Act requiring that workers be paid for duties "integral to an employee’s work."

Dive Insight:

This case revolves around security measures put in place by Amazon to prevent theft in a Nevada warehouse. The temp workers who filed the suit said that they spent as long as half an hour waiting to go through the anti-theft security lines and metal detectors. While a majority of the Supreme Court is generally viewed as business-friendly and anti-union, the court isn’t necessarily going to stake out a major position on a narrow part of the Fair Labor Relations Act. An earlier ruling along these lines appears to side with business, but it was a narrow decision, holding that workers need not be compensated for time spent putting on or taking off safety gear if a collective bargaining agreement had precluded compensation. The ruling has implications for any retailer’s warehouse policies, and Amazon and other retailers may be hoping for a win. But they may also want to examine why it takes so long for their employees to leave the building once they’re done with their shifts. Amazon may also want to keep in mind that it is slowly acquiring an anti-worker reputation to rival that of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.