The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit recently held that an employment agreement provision that shortened the statutes of limitations for employee claims brought under the Fair Labor Standards Act ("FLSA") and the Equal Pay Act from three years to six months was an impermissible waiver of claims under both statutes. In Boaz v. FedEx Customer Information Services, the Sixth Circuit explained that the U.S. Supreme Court has consistently held that attempts at private waivers of FLSA claims defeat the FLSA's purpose of "achieving a uniform national policy of guaranteeing compensation for all work." The Sixth Circuit held further that the same precedent controlled its analysis under the Equal Pay Act; thus, the employment agreement's attempt to shorten the limitations period was invalid under both statutes.
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