SAN FRANCISCO — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has asked the California Supreme Court to weigh in on whether state law requires Apple Inc. to pay workers at its retail stores for time spent waiting for security checks at the end of work shifts.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup of the Northern District of California previously granted Apple's motion for summary judgment in the underlying lawsuit in November 2015, finding employees chose to submit to the anti-theft screenings by opting to bring bags and personal Apple products to work.

But in asking the California Supreme Court to take up the question Wednesday, a Ninth Circuit panel found no clear answer in state precedent about whether that time should count as “hours worked” under California law.