When an employer acknowledges that “idle time” spent by employees on the return leg of a work flight is compensable travel time, attempts to deduct an hour of mealtime from their overtime pay for the flight violate the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled.
The plaintiffs were air security officers (ASOs) employed by a government contractor that repatriated persons ordered removed from the United States. Detainees were transported by plane and the contractor staffed the flights with ASOs to ensure safety.
