High Court To Hear Case on Overtime Pay for Drug Reps

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case to determine whether pharmaceutical sales representatives are entitled to overtime pay. The high court will review a decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which in February ruled against two former GlaxoSmithKline employees who brought a class-action lawsuit against the drugmaker. The Department of Labor has sided with the former employees, while the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America said that making sales representatives eligible for overtime pay could cost drugmakers billions of dollars and force them to restructure representatives' jobs. The Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments in the case in spring 2012 and reach a decision by the end of June.

• "Supreme Court Will Consider if Drug Company Sales Reps Should Be Paid Overtime for Extra Work" (AP/Washington Post, 11/28).
• "Drug Reps' Overtime Case Goes to High Court" (Carlson, Modern Healthcare, 11/28).
• "Justices To Weigh Overtime Pay for Drug Reps" (Kendall/Rockoff, Wall Street Journal, 11/29).