A federal jury in Philadelphia has ruled in favour of Tyson Foods in a wage and hour lawsuit at one of the company’s poultry processing complexes.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


Workers had alleged that the company failed to pay them for time taken to put on and take off certain items of clothing before and after their shifts and breaks.


But after a two-week trial in federal court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the jury sided with Tyson.


Attorneys representing seven workers from the company’s New Holland, Pennsylvania poultry complex, which employs more than 1,100 people, filed the case in 2000.


Eventually, approximately 540 additional current or former workers joined the suit.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

The decision confirmed that the meat processing company is paying its team members fairly for all the hours they work, Tyson said in a statement today (22 June).


Tyson Foods Human Resources senior vice president Ken Kimbro said: “We’re grateful for this ruling because it shows we’re paying our people correctly for the time they devote to their jobs.


“Businesses across the country, including ours, are facing similar wage and hour suits because federal labour regulations in this area are vague. We’re hopeful this decision will help bring some clarity to this nationwide legal debate.”

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact