29 CFR § 784.155 - Activities performed in wholesale establishments.

The section 13(b)(4) exemption for employment in “marketing * * * storing, or distributing” the named aquatic products or byproducts, as applied to the wholesaling of fish and seafood, affords exemption to such activities as unloading the aquatic product at the establishment, icing or refrigerating the product and storing it, placing the product into boxes, and loading the boxes on trucks or other transportation facilities for shipment to retailers or other receivers. Transportation to and from the establishment is also included (Johnson v. Johnson & Company, Inc., N.D. Ga., 47 F. Supp. 650). Office and clerical employees of a wholesaler who perform general office work such as posting to ledgers, sending bills and statements, preparing tax returns, and making up payrolls, are not exempt unless these activities can be shown to be functionally necessary, in the particular fact situation, to the actual conduct of the operations named in section 13(b)(4). Such activities as selling, taking, and putting up orders, recording sales, and taking cash are, however, included in employment in “marketing” or “distributing” within the exemption. Employees of a wholesaler engaged in the performance of any of the enumerated operations on fresh fish or fish products will be engaged in exempt work. However, any such operations which they perform on aquatic products which have been canned or otherwise rendered nonperishable are nonexempt in accordance with the principles stated in §§ 784.138 and 784.154.