Employers Must Pay Workers for Tasks Done After Clocking Out: California Court

The California Supreme Court ruled Thursday that employers must pay their workers for small amounts of time they spend on work tasks after clocking out, reports Reuters . The court said a rule under federal wage law that excuses companies from paying workers for small amounts of time that are difficult to record did not apply under state law. The decision could be costly for many companies, particularly restaurants and retailers that have many hourly workers. Shaun Setareh, who represented former Starbucks employee Douglas Troester in a 2012 lawsuit against the company, said the ruling would force many companies to change their employment practices. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce warned the court in a brief backing Starbucks that such a ruling would encourage workers to file lawsuits seeking pay for "trifling absurdities."