Apple store workers should be paid for time waiting to be searched, court rules

California law requires Apple to pay its workers for being searched before they leave retail stores, the state Supreme Court said. — Dreamstime/TNS

California law requires Apple Inc to pay its workers for being searched before they leave retail stores, the California Supreme Court decided unanimously on Feb 13.

A group of Apple workers filed a class-action lawsuit against the tech giant, charging they were required to submit to searches before leaving the stores but were not compensated for the time those searches required. The US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, where the case is now pending, asked the California Supreme Court to clarify whether state law requires compensation.