Seyfarth Synopsis: An unpublished Ninth
Circuit opinion has held that an employer need not pay employees
for time spent undergoing government-required security checks en
route to their worksite within the Los Angeles International
Airport. Cazares v. Host International, Inc.
The Facts
Jesus Cazares, an attendant in the Admirals Club lounge at the
Los Angeles International Airport ("LAX"), sued his
employer, Host International, Inc., for unpaid wages, failure to
provide meal and rest breaks, and failure to provide accurate wage
statements. The main claim was that Host failed to pay for time
spent going through TSA security procedures to enter LAX. Cazares
also claimed that Host failed to provide meal breaks in that the
security process left him no time to leave the airport on meal
breaks. Cazares also alleged that Host failed to provide him full
10-minute rest breaks because he had to spend time walking through
the terminal to reach designated rest areas.
