Former Apple Store employees from New York and Los Angeles filed a complaint in San Francisco federal court that claims Apple workers are being shorted around $1,500 a year in unpaid wages while they wait off the clock to have their bags searched.
The class-action suit claims that Apple’s “personal package and bag search” policy can cause staff members to stand around for 5 to 15 minutes every time they clock out to leave on a lunch break or at the end of a shift:
“Employees … are required to wait in line and be searched for … merchandise taken without permission and/or other contraband…. A large number of Specialists and Managers leave for lunch at the same time and/or end their shift at the same time. This creates lengthy lines and backups.”
The lawsuit was filed by Amanda Frlekin, former employee at the Century City Apple Store in Los Angeles, and Dean Pelle, who worked at the SoHo Store in New York. Both worked as Specialists at Apple until this spring and think the company is violating the Fair Labor Standards Act.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages on behalf of thousands of Apple Store workers across the country. Apple has yet to release an official statement on the complaint, which can be read in full here.
Source: GigaOM
