Skidmore v. Swift & Co.
United States Supreme Court
323 U.S. 134 (1944)
Relevant factsFree
Firefighters at Swift's (defendant) packing plant were required to stay overnight in the fire hall several nights weekly, paid only for time actually spent responding to alarms; the lower courts ruled as a matter of law that this overnight on-call time did not count as compensable work under the Fair Labor Standards Act, without properly weighing the Labor Department's interpretive guidance suggesting a more flexible, fact-specific approach.
IssueFree
Whether a federal administrative agency's rulings, interpretations, and opinions may be used for guidance by courts and litigants, even though these materials are not controlling on courts.