Tag Archives: federal employees

DOL Investigation Finds Wildland Firefighters and Truck Drivers Owed More Than $150K in Back Wages and Overtime Pay

The Department of Labor (DOL) has found that a federal contractor hired by the United States government to combat “some of the nation’s worst wildfires” failed to properly compensate dozens of firefighters and truck drivers in violation of several federal statutes and DOL regulations. The violations occurred between June 2019 and October 2021 when these workers were deployed to fight ...

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Virginia Congressman Proposes Legislation to Boost Federal Firefighter Pensions and Reduce the Average Workweek by 12 Hours

Congressman Gerry Connolly, a democrat from Virginia introduced legislation this past week aimed at improving pension benefits and working conditions for thousands of federal firefighters. The legislation, which is called the Federal Firefighter Pay Equity Act, contains two basic requirements. First, it requires the federal government to include overtime wages received by federal firefighters for working their normally prescribed work ...

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Retroactive FLSA Pay Heading to Thousands of Federal Wildland Firefighters

The U.S. Forest Service has announced that it is almost completed the monumental task of calculating retroactive FLSA payments to thousands of federal wildland firefighters following pay increases authorized earlier this summer. The pay increases, which drew much national attention earlier this year, mandate federal wildland firefighters earn at least $15 per hour. In total, the federal government allocated $600 ...

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Congress Moves to Allow Federal Firefighters the Ability to Swap Shifts

Firefighters substituting for each other’s work shifts is common in today’s fire service. Most fire departments allow firefighters, and in some instances, other departmental employees the ability to freely substitute work shifts with each other. There are several reasons why so many fire departments allow personnel to substitute for each other. First and foremost is monetary. The FLSA and Department ...

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Federal Correctional Employees File Lawsuit Over Hazardous Duty Pay

A group of 225 current and former federal correctional employees filed a lawsuit last week alleging that the U.S. Department of Justice has failed to pay them required hazardous duty pay and environmental differential pay. Additionally, the plaintiffs also allege violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The plaintiffs are all current and former employees at the Allenwood Federal ...

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