Tag Archives: paramedics

A federal lawsuit filed by Honolulu paramedic Robert Hayslip will expand to include hundreds of other “similarly situated” EMTs and medics following a federal judge’s ruling last week. United States District Court Judge, Derrick K. Watson granted a motion filed by Hayslip’s attorneys to conditionally certify the lawsuit as a “collective action.” According to Hayslip’s attorneys, as many as 300 ...

Today’s FLSA Question: I work for a third-party EMS agency that contracts 911 service for a rural county. Our agency is struggling to find medics and EMTs. As a result, overtime and mandatory overtime has turned into the norm. In an effort to incentivize employees to take additional shifts, my company has begun offering a bonus in addition to overtime ...

Today’s FLSA Question: I am a full-time firefighter in a small combination fire department. My department has a long history of providing FLSA comp time instead of paying FLSA overtime. However, the department uses the firefighter’s base hourly rate when using accrued comp time. This base rate does not include any wage incentives or stipends. Additionally, the fire department allows ...

The City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin has proposed a settlement of more than $1.5 million with several hundred city firefighters following a 2020 FLSA lawsuit. The settlement, which still requires court approval, allocates up to $1.15 million for back wages and damages, up to $400k for the firefighters’ attorneys, another $25k for court costs, and an additional $5k for the firefighter ...

A paramedic from Honolulu, Hawaii has filed an FLSA lawsuit on behalf of himself, and other similarly situated individuals, claiming the Honolulu Department of Emergency Services is violating the FLSA. In the complaint, which was filed last week in the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii, paramedic Robert Hayslip makes three basic allegations: Hayslip alleges his employer ...

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 ...

The City of Columbia, South Carolina has announced a new hazard pay and bonus program for city workers. The plan, which has been approved by the city council will provide firefighters, police officers, public works, and other “front-line workers” with a $2,500 one-time stipend for working through the pandemic. Other city workers will receive a $1,250 one-time stipend. Additionally, city ...

The City of Portsmouth, Virginia has reached a settlement with a group of fifteen paramedics ending an FLSA lawsuit filed in late 2020. The medics alleged the city failed to pay them overtime as required by the FLSA and Virginia Law. For more on the medics’ claims, including a copy of the complaint, click here. The terms of the settlement ...

How many consecutive hours should an EMT/paramedic be required to work? That is the question EMS workers from Beaufort County, South Carolina are raising following months of excessive mandatory overtime. According to The Island Packet, Beaufort County EMS workers have a long history of working significant amounts of overtime. In fact, between 2015 and 2020 the county projected overtime costs ...

The Borrego Springs Fire Protection District (District) has reached a settlement with twenty-five firefighters following an FLSA lawsuit filed in May 2020. The firefighters claimed the District failed to include money paid directly to firefighters in lieu of employer sponsored medical benefits, paramedic certification, and holiday in lieu pay in their regular rate of pay. The terms of the settlement ...