Firefighter Overtime Discussing Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for Firefighters, First Responders as well as Human Resource & Finance Professional

California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have closed long-standing pay disparities between Cal Fire firefighters and their local city and county counterparts. The veto came despite support from labor groups and firefighters who have long argued that Cal Fire personnel are underpaid compared to local city and county firefighters. The controversial bill (Assembly Bill 1309) would have ...

In fiscal year 2025, Raleigh, North Carolina, firefighters worked 117,670.70 hours of overtime which resulted in a total of $4,839,635.19 spent on firefighter overtime. Not surprising, this is more than any other city department. According to the Raleigh Professional Firefighters Association, these numbers are not only “eye-catching” but are also a solid indicator of a chronic staffing problem. Most importantly, the association ...

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a new opinion letter (FLSA2025-04) addressing whether “emergency pay” provided to firefighters can be excluded from the regular rate of pay when calculating overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The DOL concluded that the emergency pay cannot be excluded in the regular rate when calculating overtime. The request for an ...

A federal court judge has refused to toss out a lawsuit brought by nearly 60 current and former Morgantown, West Virginia, firefighters challenging the city’s method of calculating overtime pay. The firefighters filed the lawsuit in the summer of 2024, alleging that the city improperly calculates their firefighters’ regular rate of pay. The proper calculation of an employee’s regular rate ...

A former Umatilla, Florida, firefighter has filed a lawsuit on behalf of himself and other similarly situated individuals [a.k.a. other current and former firefighters] alleging that his department failed to pay overtime as required by the FLSA. The complaint, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida on September 24, 2025, contains allegations that ...

In a unanimous vote by the Greenville City Council on September 11, 2025, the City of Greenville, North Carolina, approved a major schedule change for its Fire/Rescue Department. Starting in March 2026, firefighters will move from a 24 hours on / 48 hours off shift schedule to a 24 hours on / 72 hours off schedule. The City of Greenville is the latest ...

A group of current and former firefighters from the Jacksboro Fire Department (Tennessee) has filed a federal lawsuit against the Town of Jacksboro, alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and state law. According to the complaint filed on August 29, 2025, the Jacksboro Fire Department failed to pay firefighters for all hours worked. The firefighters primary claim relates to the town’s past practice ...

The Fire Department of the City of New York [FDNY] is the latest agency to face an FLSA lawsuit filed by firefighters alleging unpaid work hours during the time spent in the fire academy and during probationary status. This lawsuit, which was initially filed by two former firefighters in state court was removed to federal court earlier this month. Quoting ...

Jefferson Parish firefighters remain optimistic that a long‑awaited pay raise is on the horizon, following what both sides describe as a constructive meeting with parish leadership this past week. However, tension remains as parish officials and union leadership disagree over firefighter pay. According to Fox 8 Live, firefighters in unincorporated areas of the county begin at a base pay of $10.53 ...

A 2024 lawsuit filed by three Maryland firefighters alleging violations of both the FLSA and state laws has been settled for a total of $250,000. The main issue was whether the Berlin Fire Company, Inc. could qualify for the FLSA’s “§207(k)” exemption. The plaintiff firefighters argued that Berlin Fire Company did not meet the “public agency” requirement of the exemption ...