T-Mobile and CB Richard Ellis were sued by employees for requiring, but not paying wages for, after-hours communication via smartphones. Past court decisions, involving pagers, have hinged on employees' ability to engage in "personal pursuits."

That's probably why ABC News last year agreed to pay wages for BlackBerry time during big breaking news events. But fights involving smartphones and wages are growing, the Wall Street Journal reports, as the devices spread. At least, they are among companies that can afford highfalutin' text-based mobile communication, during a recession. Not all can!

[via Business Insider]

(Pic: Eric Havir)

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