Court Ruled Federal Guards Must Be Paid for Screenings
The Court of Federal Claims denied a government motion to dismiss Fair Labor Standards Act overtime claims.
Updated on Sept. 23, 2026 in Unions
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The United States Court of Federal Claims denied the government's motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by federal correctional officers. The court ruled that time spent in mandatory pre-shift security screenings is compensable under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Why it matters
The decision affirms that security screenings are an integral part of work activities for federal employees, potentially establishing significant back-pay liabilities for the government. This ruling clarifies the application of the continuous workday rule for staff in secure facilities.
The court confirmed that the IBP continuous workday rule applies to federal correctional officers, making time spent in sally ports after donning duty belts compensable. The total number of affected officers is not currently specified.
The players
United States Court of Federal Claims
This is a federal court that handles claims for money damages against the United States government.
The details
The court determined that security screenings are indispensable to principal work activities, overriding the government's attempt to dismiss the claims. Consequently, the time spent passing through security barriers is now recognized as part of the workday.
Timeline
September 23, 2026: The Court of Federal Claims issued the ruling.
Need to Know
This decision relies on the Fair Labor Standards Act to clarify federal employment rights. It confirms that the specific security requirements of correctional work fall under mandated compensation protocols previously established for other industries.
This ruling impacts federal correctional officers by ensuring they receive compensation for mandatory pre-shift security procedures. It may lead to back-pay settlements for employees who were previously unpaid during these essential security screenings.
The takeaway
The court ruling solidifies the principle that time spent meeting employer-mandated security requirements counts as time worked. Federal employees should monitor agency communications to see if this ruling leads to changes in time-clock procedures or compensation backlogs.
Further reading
Learn more about labor disputes and federal policy in the Unions section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Bloomberglaw.
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Should time spent undergoing mandatory security screenings at work be counted as compensable time?
