Today’s FLSA Question: I am a fire chief for a small full-time fire and EMS department. The folks at town hall just announced a new town-wide policy that requires all senior-level administrative staff [including myself and my assistant chief] be financially responsible for any costs associated with the loss, theft, or damage of any department issued electronic device. This includes ...
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FL Fire District Settles FLSA Lawsuit with Firefighters
The Destin Fire Control District has settled an FLSA lawsuit with a total of nine firefighters for almost $40,000. The firefighters had alleged that the district required them to attend specific training sessions while off-duty and did not compensate them for that time. The district countered by claiming the firefighters attendance at the trainings was purely voluntary and provided by ...
Read More »Settlement Reached with CA Sheriff Deputies Following FLSA Lawsuit
San Joaquin County, California has reached a $279,000 settlement with a group of sheriff deputies following a 2020 lawsuit for alleged FLSA violations. The settlement, which was approved by a federal judge on August 15, 2022, settles a lawsuit filed by forty sergeants from the San Joaquin Sheriff’s Office. The sergeants claimed that the county failed to properly calculate their ...
Read More »Jury Finds Louisville Police SWAT Members Not Entitled to On-Call Pay
A jury has found members of the Louisville Metro Police Department’s SWAT team are not entitled to back-pay and overtime pay for hours spent on-call. In 2016, a total of 46 current and formers SWAT members filed this lawsuit alleging the department’s on-call policies for SWAT team members was unreasonably restrictive and as such should be compensated. According to the ...
Read More »Allegations of Underpaid Firefighter Overtime Quickly Turn into Claims of Retaliation for One Alabama City
Firefighters in the City of Gadsden, Alabama recently filed a federal lawsuit alleging the city’s pay practices violate the FLSA. More recently, the same firefighters are now claiming [in an amended complaint filed on August 11, 2022] that the city has unlawfully retaliated against them in violation of both the FLSA and the U.S. Constitution. This story begins in May ...
Read More »Four Florida Firefighters File FLSA Suit Against Town
Four Micanopy Fire and Rescue firefighters have filed a federal lawsuit against their employer alleging violations of the FLSA. According to the town’s website, the Micanopy Fire and Rescue Department responds to over 400 calls per year over an area of fifty-three square miles and serves a population around 10,000 people. The department is staffed by a full time fire ...
Read More »Philly’s Firefighters Urged to Seek Overtime Pay for Required at Home Covid Testing
The union representing thousands of Philadelphia firefighters (IAFF Local 22) is urging its unvaccinated members to submit overtime requests for department mandated Covid testing. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the city and union recently reached an agreement that requires unvaccinated firefighters (approximately 700 of a total 2,300 city firefighters) test themselves weekly and upload those results to a city website ...
Read More »Retired Georgia Battalion Chief Files Lawsuit for Unpaid Overtime and Breach of Contract
A recently retired battalion chief from the Roswell, Georgia Fire Department has filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Roswell alleging the city’s pay practices violate both the FLSA and state laws. Retired Battalion Chief Edwin Vickery filed the lawsuit on July 28, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Here is a breakdown ...
Read More »Colorado Governor Signs Executive Order Providing Volunteer Firefighters Paid Time Off to Fight Fires in the State
Colorado Governor Jared Polis recently signed an executive order intended to provide state employees that also serve as volunteer firefighters in their communities up to five days of paid leave while fighting wildfires throughout the state. Executive Order D 2022 036 states the following: Climate change is increasing the frequency, severity, and intensity of forest fires in Colorado. Fire season ...
Read More »Alabama K9 Officers File FLSA Suit
A group of three Mobile, Alabama Police Department K-9 handlers have filed a federal lawsuit alleging the City of Mobile is violating the FLSA by not properly compensating them for all of the time spent caring for their four-legged partners. Wage and hour claims related to “off-the-clock” work activities like this are relatively commonplace in today’s workplace. The FLSA requires ...
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