October Term 2017 · Docket 16-1362
Do service advisors qualify as salespeople under the FLSA exemption?
The dispute centers on whether auto service advisors fit the statutory definition of salespeople exempt from overtime pay.
Verified source milestones
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
The arguments, in order
This case may have been argued more than once. Each entry below uses that session's official transcript. Later arguments do not erase earlier ones.
Argument 1 ·
What happened at the argument
Clement asserts service advisors are plainly salespeople engaged in servicing cars.
Feldman contends service advisors do not service automobiles and lack exemption status.
Kagan challenged the reliance on literal statutory meaning over other arguments.
Ginsburg inquired whether unlisted roles can subsume under the three statutory categories.
Read the official transcript for this argument · Official argument details
Sources used for this argument breakdown
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 27-53 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 27-53
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 25-11 — Transcript, file page 12, lines 25-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 13, lines 31-37 — Transcript, file page 13, lines 31-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 15, lines 43-49 — Transcript, file page 15, lines 43-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 15, lines 51-51 — Transcript, file page 15, lines 51-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 15, lines 53-1 — Transcript, file page 15, lines 53-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 16, lines 7-9 — Transcript, file page 16, lines 7-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 21-15 — Transcript, file page 31, lines 21-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 11-21 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 11-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-49 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 23-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 51-13 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 51-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 55-1 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 55-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 7-43 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 7-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 62, lines 13-17 — Transcript, file page 62, lines 13-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 64, lines 19-27 — Transcript, file page 64, lines 19-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 64, lines 31-33 — Transcript, file page 64, lines 31-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 65, lines 47-49 — Transcript, file page 65, lines 47-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 41-15 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 41-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 39-15 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 39-15
A citizen's guide to the whole case
What this case is about
This case tests the scope of the Fair Labor Standards Act exemption for auto industry workers.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 21-15 — Transcript, file page 31, lines 21-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-49 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 23-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 62, lines 13-17 — Transcript, file page 62, lines 13-17
How the case got here
The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on January 17, 2018.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 11-21 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 11-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 65, lines 47-49 — Transcript, file page 65, lines 47-49
What each side wants
Encino Motorcars wants the Court to classify service advisors as exempt salespeople.
Navarro wants the Court to classify service advisors as non-exempt workers entitled to overtime.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 21-15 — Transcript, file page 31, lines 21-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-49 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 23-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 62, lines 13-17 — Transcript, file page 62, lines 13-17
What each side says
Clement argues service advisors are salespeople primarily engaged in servicing automobiles.
Feldman argues service advisors do not service automobiles and thus fail the exemption test.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 21-15 — Transcript, file page 31, lines 21-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-49 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 23-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 62, lines 13-17 — Transcript, file page 62, lines 13-17
What the justices asked
Justice Kagan questioned whether the literal meaning argument is the strongest available.
Justice Ginsburg asked if any unlisted category fits under the three statutory roles.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 27-53 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 27-53
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 25-11 — Transcript, file page 12, lines 25-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 13, lines 31-37 — Transcript, file page 13, lines 31-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 15, lines 43-49 — Transcript, file page 15, lines 43-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 15, lines 51-51 — Transcript, file page 15, lines 51-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 15, lines 53-1 — Transcript, file page 15, lines 53-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 16, lines 7-9 — Transcript, file page 16, lines 7-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 51-13 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 51-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 55-1 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 55-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 7-43 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 7-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 64, lines 19-27 — Transcript, file page 64, lines 19-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 64, lines 31-33 — Transcript, file page 64, lines 31-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 65, lines 47-49 — Transcript, file page 65, lines 47-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 41-15 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 41-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 39-15 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 39-15
Why it matters
The outcome determines whether millions of auto service advisors receive overtime pay.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 21-15 — Transcript, file page 31, lines 21-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-49 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 23-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 62, lines 13-17 — Transcript, file page 62, lines 13-17
What happens next
This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 27-53 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 27-53
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 25-11 — Transcript, file page 12, lines 25-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 13, lines 31-37 — Transcript, file page 13, lines 31-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 15, lines 43-49 — Transcript, file page 15, lines 43-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 15, lines 51-51 — Transcript, file page 15, lines 51-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 15, lines 53-1 — Transcript, file page 15, lines 53-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 16, lines 7-9 — Transcript, file page 16, lines 7-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 11-21 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 11-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 51-13 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 51-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 55-1 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 55-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 7-43 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 7-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 64, lines 19-27 — Transcript, file page 64, lines 19-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 64, lines 31-33 — Transcript, file page 64, lines 31-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 65, lines 47-49 — Transcript, file page 65, lines 47-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 41-15 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 41-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 39-15 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 39-15
Official Court provenance
Official docket and case history · Official Supreme Court oral-argument detail page
Title and summary sources
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 21-15 — Transcript, file page 31, lines 21-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-49 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 23-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 62, lines 13-17 — Transcript, file page 62, lines 13-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 21-15 — Transcript, file page 31, lines 21-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-49 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 23-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 62, lines 13-17 — Transcript, file page 62, lines 13-17
Revision history
- Revision 1 · Official Transcript ·
Correction: Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.
- Revision 2 · Official Transcript ·
Correction: Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.