Starbucks Loses ‘Off-the-Clock’ Compensation Case in CA

The Supreme Court of California has ruled against Starbucks in a dispute regarding compensation for “off-the-clock” closing duties. The decision found that the corporate-owned coffee chain must pay Douglas Troester, a former shift supervisor in Los Angeles, for “nontrivial, regularly occurring periods of work” that were not included in his payable time.

Nation’s Restaurant News notes that the ruling could set a precedent in California, whose state labor laws are stronger than federal ones.

“Employers would be wise to take a closer look at any off-the-clock tasks that non-exempt employees are expected to perform — no matter how fleeting — and determine if the time dedicated to those tasks can be captured or otherwise recorded,” said Dana Kravertz, an employment attorney at Michelman & Robinson LLP in a statement.

Starbucks said it plans to appeal the ruling.