Federal Court Cites Lack of Evidence Employee was Engaged in Interstate Commerce or in Production of Goods for Commerce to Establish Coverage Under Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to Support Overtime Claim
Plaintiff Joseph Thorne appealed a district court order granting All Restoration Service’s defense motion for dismissal under Rule 50 as to Thorne’s overtime pay claims based on alleged violations of FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act). Thorne v. All Restoration Serv., Inc., 448 F.3d 1264 (11th Cir. 2006). The district court had granted the defense motion on the grounds that “Thorne had not presented evidence at trial that he qualified for either enterprise coverage or individual coverage under the FLSA” because “‘[his] activities were local in nature and really did not affect interstate commerce in general,’” id., at 1265. On appeal Thorne challenged only the finding that he failed to establish individual coverage under FLSA. Individual coverage exists only if an employee “is engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce,” 29 U.S.C. § 207(a)(1) (2005). The Circuit Court affirmed.
First, the Court rejected Thorne’s claim that regular use of his employer’s credit cards in the course and scope of employment means that he “engaged in interstate commerce.” First, the Circuit Court explained that the statute requires an activity that constitutes interstate commerce, not an activity that “merely affect[s]” interstate commerce. Thorne, at 1266 (citing McLeod v. Threlkeld, 319 U.S. 491, 497, 63 S.Ct. 1248 (1968)). All Thorne alleged was that he made purchases with the credit cards; he could not even establish whether the credit card bills came from out of state. Id., at 1266-67.
Second, the Court rejected Thorne’s claim that “his restoration work was directly essential to the production of goods in commerce,” Thorne, at 1268. Thorne’s employer performed mold and water restoration services entirely within the State of Florida. Further, while testimony set the amount of ARS’s work at anywhere from 50%-90% residential and therefore not covered under FLSA, the commercial buildings serviced by ARS were, again, entirely within the State of Florida and Thorne “produced [no] evidence that these business were engaged in the production of goods for interstate commerce.” Id., at 1268-69.
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