The U.S. Supreme Court held that the Fair Labor Standards Act's anti-retaliation provision covers oral and written complaints, whether internal or to the government. So, here's some invaluable and insightful advice: don't retaliate against employees who complain about alleged wage and hour violations. Try not to decide whether to retaliate based on if a complaint is oral or written, mmmkay?
In a nutshell, Kasten claimed he complained to management and other employees about the location of the time clocks at the St. Gobain factory. Because of the time clock's placement, he did not get paid for "donning and doffing" time. The company allegedly fired Kasten for not keeping his time card correct. Kasten claimed it was retaliation for his complaints. The district court dismissed the case because Kasten had not "filed" a written complaint with the government and, therefore, was not covered by the anti-retaliation provision in the FLSA. The Supreme Court took time out of its busy day to resolve a dispute among the lower circuit courts over whether a written complaint was required.
The case is Kasten v. St. Gobain Performance Plastics, Inc., and the opinion is here.