USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service published a final rule Friday that will require meat and poultry processors to pay overtime for inspectors’ donning and doffing activities performed outside an eight-hour shift.

The rule defines an eight-hour workday as including time inspectors spend donning and doffing required gear and time spent walking to and from their workstations after putting on or taking off their gear.

The rule, to take effect July 11, not only applies to donning and doffing activities at the beginning and end of each shift but also before and after the inspectors’ lunch period. It also covers time to retrieve, clean and store equipment.

The rule also pertains to equipment required by FSIS and by the individual plant.

FSIS last week issued a notice instructing inspectors how to measure the time it takes them to don and doff gear. For pay purposes, the cumulative time is rounded up to the next quarter hour (so 14 minutes would be 15 minutes). That notice stated the requirement would apply beginning with the June 5-June 18 period and plants will be billed for overtime when the final rule published.

To view the rule, click here.