The Connecticut Supreme Court Holds that the FLSA Preempts State Travel Time Law

In Sarrazin v. Coastal, Inc., 311 Conn. 581 (2014), the Connecticut Supreme Court analyzed when an employee’s travel time between home and work constitutes compensable work time. The Court affirmed the decision of the trial court in holding that a plumber who carried company tools in a company vehicle during his daily commute to his jobsite and home was not entitled to compensation for that travel time. He was, however, entitled to overtime compensation for the after-hours time he spent picking up tools or equipment from the company’s warehouse.