Is time at a security gate and driving on site paid in California?

This decision extends the control principle from Frlekin's bag checks to the perimeter of a large worksite, and it matters most to construction, agriculture, logistics and any site where entry is controlled.

The first holding is straightforward: time spent waiting for and undergoing an employer-mandated vehicle inspection is hours worked. The employee cannot leave, cannot proceed, and is subject to the employer's direction throughout — the fact that they remained seated in their own vehicle does not change that.

The second holding is the one that surprises employers. Where the security gate is the first location at which the employee's presence is required for an employment-related reason beyond merely accessing the site, the subsequent on-site travel becomes employer-mandated travel and is compensable.

The court also drew the limit. Ordinary rules imposed during a commute — obeying speed limits, staying on a designated route — do not by themselves convert the commute into hours worked. What converts it is a requirement that serves the employer's purposes beyond getting the employee to work.