USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has published its final rule on additional changes to the schedule of operations regulations. The amended regulations define the eight-hour workday as including time that inspection program personnel need to prepare the inspection station, if necessary, or retrieve and return lot tally sheets; the time necessary for FSIS inspection program personnel to sharpen knives, if necessary; and the time necessary to conduct duties scheduled by FSIS, including administrative activities. A Hogan Lovells memorandum regarding this policy can be viewed here and the September 27 Federal Register notice is available here.
