--- title: "Tyson Foods v Bouaphakeo | SCOTUS Ruling Could Lead To More Class Action Suits" description: "" url: "https://wimlaw.com/articles/u-s-supreme-court-ruling-in-tyson-foods-could-result-in-more-class-and-collective-actions" date: "2026-06-02T07:32:33+00:00" language: "en-US" --- # U.S. Supreme Court Ruling In Tyson Foods Could Result in More Class and Collective Actions Written on March 29, 2016. *Tag(s):* [SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States)](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_tags&view=tag&id%5B0%5D=59:scotus) Last week, in Tyson Foods, Inc. v. Bouaphakeo et al., No. 14-1146, the United States Supreme Court ruled that class and collective action plaintiffs can establish liability through statistical or "representative" evidence, as opposed to individualized assessments of employees. In the Tyson Foods case, the Court allowed the plaintiff-employees to use a statistical expert who conducted representative time studies to determine the average number of minutes that the employees spent on pre-shift and post-shift activities. A jury returned a verdict of $2.9 million in favor of the plaintiffs for unpaid wages, and that verdict was affirmed by the Supreme Court. Several experts have already opined that the Supreme Court's approval of this type of statistical evidence could make class action and collective action litigation more attractive to plaintiffs' attorneys. For a full analysis by our own Betsy Dorminey () please click on the following link: http://www.fed-soc.org/blog/detail/tyson-foods-v-bouaphakeo-supreme-court-addresses-wage-hour-collective-actions-and-statistical-proof. - [](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimlaw.com%2Farticles%2Fu-s-supreme-court-ruling-in-tyson-foods-could-result-in-more-class-and-collective-actions.md&text=) - [](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwimlaw.com%2Farticles%2Fu-s-supreme-court-ruling-in-tyson-foods-could-result-in-more-class-and-collective-actions.md) - [](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimlaw.com%2Farticles%2Fu-s-supreme-court-ruling-in-tyson-foods-could-result-in-more-class-and-collective-actions.md) - [](mailto:?subject=U.S.%20Supreme%20Court%20Ruling%20In%20Tyson%20Foods%20Could%20Result%20in%20More%20Class%20and%20Collective%20Actions) ![Kathleen J. Jennings](https://wimlaw.com/images/resources/articles/2020/06/kathleen-portrait-300.jpg) Kathleen J. Jennings Former Principal Kathleen J. Jennings is a former principal in the Atlanta office of Wimberly, Lawson, Steckel, Schneider, & Stine, P.C. She defends employers in employment matters, such as sexual harassment, discrimination, Wage and Hour, OSHA, restrictive covenants, and other employment litigation and provides training and counseling to employers in employment matters. ## Related Content [ ![dc](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/cf/march-2026-webinar-cf9643db.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1562:reining-state-scotus-employers&catid=221) ### [Reining In the Administrative State: What the Supreme Court Has Been Up To, and Why it Matters for Employers](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1562:reining-state-scotus-employers&catid=221) [Webinars: Employment Law "Hot Topics"](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=221) [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1562:reining-state-scotus-employers&catid=221) [ ![religuous symbols](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/f3/WimLaw-Webinar-Promo-Slide-f39502ad.png) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1538:religious-accommodation-hardship-eeoc&catid=221) ### [Resolving Conflict Between Religious Expression and the Civil Rights of Others](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1538:religious-accommodation-hardship-eeoc&catid=221) [Webinars: Employment Law "Hot Topics"](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=221) [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1538:religious-accommodation-hardship-eeoc&catid=221) [ ![stop sign, outdoors](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/f9/joshua-hoehne-WPrTKRw8KRQ-unsplash-f9fd8834.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1517:court-injunctions-nlrb&catid=53) ### [Fifth Circuit Federal Court Has Upheld Injunctions against NLRB Proceedings](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1517:court-injunctions-nlrb&catid=53) [Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53) [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1517:court-injunctions-nlrb&catid=53) ## Get Email Updates Receive newsletters and alerts directly in your email inbox. Sign up below. ## Recent Content [ Articles ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=205) [ ![ai, human reach out](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/f1/igor-omilaev-FHgWFzDDAOs-unsplash-f12346e8.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1582:fcra-litigation-challenges-employers-ai-hiring&catid=53)### [FCRA Litigation Challenges Employers’ Use of AI Hiring Platforms](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1582:fcra-litigation-challenges-employers-ai-hiring&catid=53) [Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53) A January 20, 2026, class action filed against Eightfold AI, Inc. in California is sending shockwaves through the employer and AI community… [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1582:fcra-litigation-challenges-employers-ai-hiring&catid=53) [ ![danger sign, skull](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/01/mikael-seegen-jX6WXNkvsPs-unsplash-01c1ebef.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1584:ai-research-discovery-requests-dangers&catid=53)### [The Dangers of Employers Using AI Research Tools as to Discovery Requests from Plaintiffs](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1584:ai-research-discovery-requests-dangers&catid=53) [Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53) A second “bombshell” affecting HR pertaining to AI is a federal court ruling in New York, that a defendant’s use of AI in researching and p… [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1584:ai-research-discovery-requests-dangers&catid=53) [ ![CHAT GPT](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/64/emiliano-vittoriosi-fvxNerA8uk0-unsplash-64a16be4.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1585:ai-employer-protection&catid=53)### [Two Subsequent Cases Protect Defendant’s Use of AI as Subject to Work-product Protection](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1585:ai-employer-protection&catid=53) [Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53) Soon after the deciding of the above-discussed case on February 17, 2026, in U.S. v. Heppner, a criminal case in the District Court for the… [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1585:ai-employer-protection&catid=53) [ ![avoid, wave away](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/6f/priscilla-du-preez-NQTphr4Pr60-unsplash-6fb4df83.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1586:employer-avoid-waiving-privileges-ai-research&catid=53)### [Is There Anything an Employer Can Do to Avoid Waiving Privileges in Using AI Research Tools?](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1586:employer-avoid-waiving-privileges-ai-research&catid=53) [Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53) There are no easy answers to the above question, but some general observations will nevertheless be made. First, the New York district cou… [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1586:employer-avoid-waiving-privileges-ai-research&catid=53) [ ![ai visualization](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/45/milad-fakurian-5yWtM3M3JKM-unsplash-45306e6d.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1587:ai-legal-recommendations&catid=53)### [Suggestions on Use of AI](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1587:ai-legal-recommendations&catid=53) [Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53) Perhaps the starting point is to look at the type of AI platforms generally available. At a recent conference about AI use for HR, speaker… [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1587:ai-legal-recommendations&catid=53) [ ![june 2026 legal immigration webinar promo graphic](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/45/june-2026-webinar-immigration-453d45bc.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1583:worksite-enforcement-tps-parole&catid=221)### [Worksite Enforcement and TPS and Parole Status Update](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1583:worksite-enforcement-tps-parole&catid=221) [Webinars: Employment Law "Hot Topics"](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=221) The webinar will cover how to deal with a worksite enforcement action and various types of immigration enforcement activities. The webinar… [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1583:worksite-enforcement-tps-parole&catid=221) ### Additional Legal Resources [### Newsletter Explore ](https://wimlaw.com/publications/newsletters) [### Books Explore ](https://wimlaw.com/publications/books) [### Alerts Explore ](https://wimlaw.com/alerts) [### Articles Explore ](https://wimlaw.com/articles) [### Audits Explore ](https://wimlaw.com/audits) [### Events Explore ](https://wimlaw.com/events) ## Schema ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://wimlaw.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Articles", "item": "https://wimlaw.com/articles" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "U.S. Supreme Court Ruling In Tyson Foods Could Result in More Class and Collective Actions", "item": "https://wimlaw.com/articles/u-s-supreme-court-ruling-in-tyson-foods-could-result-in-more-class-and-collective-actions" } ] } ```