Justin Griffin v. S&B Engineers and Constructors

**What Happened** Justin Griffin sued his employer, S&B Engineers and Constructors, claiming he should have been paid for time spent traveling on company buses. Griffin was required to park at a remote lot and take a mandatory bus ride to reach his actual work site. He argued this travel time counted as work hours under federal wage laws and that he should be compensated for it. **What the Court Decided** The court ruled against Griffin and sided with the company. The judges determined that the bus ride from the parking lot to the work site was considered regular commuting, not work time. They applied a federal law called the Portal to Portal Act, which generally excludes travel time to and from work from being paid time, even when employers require specific transportation arrangements. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling clarifies that workers may not be entitled to pay for certain types of required travel, even when employers control the transportation method. Workers should understand that mandatory bus rides from parking areas to work sites are typically considered unpaid commuting time. However, other types of work-related travel during the day might still qualify for compensation, so the specific circumstances matter greatly.