Tag Archives: hours worked

Twenty-three current and former La Verne, California, firefighters have filed a federal lawsuit against the city for violations of the FLSA. The firefighters make two basic allegations in a six-page complaint filed in the Central District of California. First, the City of La Verne failed to pay some firefighters for all hours worked attending meetings, training, and performing other administrative ...

Today’s FLSA Question: I am the chief of a midsize, full-time fire department. Our overtime budget is constantly the source of contention and scrutiny by town administrators, elected officials, and the public. Our line firefighters average 42 hours per week on 4 platoons. We use a 14-day work period and pay overtime for all hours worked in addition to the ...

The City of Richmond, Virginia, has agreed to pay approximately $50,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by four police officers regarding unpaid overtime. The lawsuit, which was filed in August of 2017, claimed the city failed to pay overtime to officers assigned to the former mayor’s private security detail. The officers claimed the city unilaterally stopped paying overtime for hours ...

Adolfo Jimenez, a former police officer for the City of Parlier, California, has filed a federal law suit in the Eastern District of California, claiming the city violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The suit alleges the city failed to adequately compensate Jimenez for off-the-clock work related to the care, training, maintenance, and transport of his police work dog. ...

The FLSA requires any public agency electing to utilize the §207(k) partial overtime exemption for police officers and firefighters establish a work period. In other words, to avoid paying overtime to firefighters and police officers after they work 40 hours every 7 days, the public agency needs to establish a qualifying work period. While establishing a work period may not ...

Former Killian, Louisiana, Police Chief Dennis Hill has been indicted on felony malfeasance charges for allegedly requesting payments for overtime he never worked. The felony charge comes on the heels of an investigation conducted by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor into the former chief’s actions. Despite numerous claims of alleged criminal conduct within the auditor’s report, the grand jury only indicted ...

Today’s FLSA Question: I am the HR director for a small city. Before taking this job I worked for many years as an HR manager in the private sector. I am struggling with some of the unique components of the FLSA that only apply to public sector workers. I am especially concerned about some of the practices within the fire ...

In an unusual decision from the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, a former fire investigator for the Columbus Consolidated Government Fire and EMS Department (CCG Fire & EMS) was denied overtime pay under a very limited and unique provision of the FLSA. It is too soon to know if the former investigator will appeal. However, there ...

Today’s FLSA Question: Does longevity pay need to be included in a firefighter’s regular rate of pay? What if the firefighter receives longevity pay in a lump sum every year? Yes, most longevity payments need to be included in the regular rate. Whether the money is paid annually, quarterly, weekly, or even hourly does not change this fact. Receiving longevity ...

Today’s FLSA Question:  I am a fire lieutenant and the president of my local firefighters’ union. We work a 48/96 schedule (48 hours on duty followed by 96 hours off), and utilize a 14-day work period. I know the FLSA requires overtime for all hours worked over 106 in a 14-day work period. We have a unique provision in our ...