Tag Archives: first responders

Question of the Day Our employment contract states “any employee that is called back to duty shall be compensated for a minimum of four (4) hours”.  There are times when firefighters are called back to work for only an hour or two.  The firefighter still receives four hours of pay even if they work less than four hours.  When counting ...

The Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) has filed a federal civil suit against the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Local 3701 in the Eastern District of Washington state.  SVFD is looking for the court to issue a “declaratory judgement” that battalion chiefs and fire marshals are exempt from FLSA overtime.  This is a highly unusual suit for several reasons, let’s ...

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) dates back to 1938.  Workplaces have changed drastically since that time.  Many of the most common FLSA violations reflect that transition.  Modern technology has transformed the workplace in ways the original framers of the FLSA could not have imagined.  As an employer, it is not always easy to stay ahead of the curve on ...

As many of us are keenly aware, firefighters do not always receive overtime after working 40 hours in a week. In fact, firefighters are often required to work upwards of 53 hours per week before receiving any overtime.