A Honda employee has filed a lawsuit against the automaker, alleging that he is not compensated for essential tasks performed before and after his shift at the Marysville production facility. Joab Scott claims he spends approximately 30 minutes preparing for his 6 a.m. shift and an additional 20 minutes after work, which he argues should be paid as overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The suit was filed on June 19 in U.S. District Court’s Southern District of Ohio. Courtlyn Roser-Jones, an associate professor of law at Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law, says the law is clear that the workday, and compensation, begins when employees put on required equipment and gear. “There is a pretty wide collection of case law about what is called donning and doffing – gear you have to wear that’s required, then it’s considered part of your continuous workday,” said Roser-Jones, who specializes in labor law. “There’s never a perfect case, but this sounds like it meets that requirement.” The suit seeks class-action status.
