Opinion ID: 2206061
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Is the Peace Officers' Meal Time Compensable?

Text: Meal time is compensable, if the employee spends his or her time predominantly for the benefit of the employer. Reimer v. Champion Healthcare Corp., 258 F.3d 720, 725 (8th Cir.2001). Even if we would decide the case differently than the district court, the ultimate question is whether the evidence supports the findings made by the district court. Raper, 688 N.W.2d. at 51. Substantial evidence supports the district court's conclusion the peace officers' mealtime was predominantly for the benefit of the State. The State required the peace officers to stay in uniform, be available by cell phone, and assist the public if called upon to do so. Additionally, they are not allowed to conduct certain personal business, such as shopping, during their meal time. The stipulated record also revealed the peace officers would eat sack lunches while on stake-out, usually discuss law enforcement issues with other officers during meal time, and at least once during every meal break, the public interrupted the officers' meal time requiring the officer to answer a question or respond to a situation. A reasonable mind would accept this evidence as adequate to conclude these peace officers spend their meal time predominantly for the benefit of the State. See Oakes v. Pennsylvania, 871 F.Supp. 797, 800 (M.D.Pa.1995) (holding evidence that meal periods were interrupted to assist citizens created a genuine issue of material fact as to whether meal time was compensable).