A former food preparer at the Taco Bell inside Denver International Airport has sued the restaurant’s operator in Colorado state court, claiming she was never paid for the time she spent clearing security and walking to her workstation before clocking in. She also alleges the company failed to provide paid rest breaks required under state law.
According to Law360, the lawsuit accuses the operator of failing to pay hourly employees for time spent undergoing security screenings and getting to their workstations before clocking in. The same filing alleges the company failed to provide paid rest breaks, a separate claim that mirrors complaints seen elsewhere in Colorado’s restaurant industry.
Why Colorado’s Wage Rules Could Matter Here
Colorado’s wage rules may be central to the dispute. The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment says required security or safety screenings, including waiting time, can count as paid work under the state wage order. Its guidance gives federally required radiation screening for nuclear plant guards as an example of a mandatory screening that may qualify.
The agency also addresses walking from an entrance to a workstation after paid activity has begun; the state’s travel-time rule includes an exception to the ordinary commute exclusion once compensable work starts. Gary Leff, writing about the lawsuit for View from the Wing, characterized Colorado’s treatment of security screening as unusually favorable to workers compared with other states.
Competing Arguments Over Whose Clock Is Running
In Leff’s account, the concessionaire characterizes the shared airport checkpoint as part of employees’ commute, outside the restaurant’s premises and supervision. The worker argues that screening is a required step to reach her assigned workplace and should count as paid time under Colorado law…