A U.S. District Court judge ruled in a suit involving long-haul truck drivers that sleeper berth time exceeding eight hours per day is compensable work under the Fair Labor Standards Act. That ruling was upheld on appeal.
WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT… U.S. Department of Labor regulations allow employers to deduct an eight-hour sleeping period from compensable hours. The court found that employee time spent in the sleeper berth that exceeds eight hours per day is compensable work under the FLSA because that time was on duty time and predominantly for the employer's benefit.