§ 779.310 Employees of employers operating multi-unit businesses.

(a) Where the employer's business operations are conducted in more than one establishment, as in the various units of a chain-store system or where branch establishments are operated in conjunction with a main store, the employer is entitled to exemption under section 13(a)(2) or (4) for those of his employees in such business operations, and those only, who are “employed by” an establishment which qualifies for exemption under the statutory tests. For example, the central office or central warehouse of a chain-store operation even though located on the same premises as one of the chain's retail stores would be considered a separate establishment for purposes of the exemption, if it is physically separated from the area in which the retail operations are carried on and has separate employees and records. (Goldberg v. Sunshine Department Stores, 15 W.H. Cases 169 (CA–5) Mitchell v. Miller Drugs, Inc., 255 F. 2d 574 (CA–1); Walling v. Goldblatt Bros., 152 F. 2d 475 (CA–7).)