Warning!! Not Firefighter Related . . . But interesting story from Pennsylvania today . . . Ever think about paying your workers with “fee-laden debit cards?” Just as an FYI, it is probably not the best idea. A Pennsylvania judge recently approved a class action settlement between almost 2,400 former and current McDonald’s employees that were paid with “fee-laden debit ...
Read More »Reduction in Firefighters Equals Increase in OT for Richmond VA Fire
The Richmond Virginia Fire Department is short twenty-four firefighters. This shortage has created a drastic increase in the department’s overtime budget. According to Fire Chief Melvin Carter between $85,000 and $135,000 is spent on overtime every two weeks. Even Keith Andes, President of the Richmond Firefighters Association, agrees that spending that much on overtime is “unsustainable.” The department has already ...
Read More »Update on IAFF – FLSA Lawsuit
This past July the Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) filed an unusual lawsuit against the union that represents Spokane Valley firefighters (IAFF Local 3701). SVFD wanted the court to issue a “declaratory judgement” that SVFD battalion chiefs and fire marshals were exempt from receiving FLSA overtime. A declaratory judgement is when a court is asked to issue a formal opinion ...
Read More »Court of Appeals Upholds Paid Breaks for Workers
On October 13th, the 3rd Circuit Federal Court of Appeals upheld a lower federal court decision that required an employer pay employees for short breaks. The FLSA has long mandated breaks less than 20 minutes be paid, however this employer made a rather unique argument that may just be worth a closer look. Progressive Business Publications (Progressive) employed hourly telephone ...
Read More »Little Rock Police Modify Schedule to Reduce Overtime
In an effort to reduce overtime while keeping “more officers on the streets” the Little Rock, Arkansas, Police Department is changing to 12-hour shifts. Currently, Little Rock officers work approximately twenty 8-hour shifts per month. Under the new schedule which will be implemented on Jan. 1, officers will only work fourteen 12-hour shifts per month. The officers’ scheduled hours ...
Read More »Part Time Ambulance Work for Firefighters and the FLSA
Today’s FLSA Question I run payroll for a municipal fire department. The fire chief wants to give firefighters an opportunity to work part time on their days off, staffing a city ambulance that transports sick and elderly patients home from the hospital, to doctors’ appointments, dialysis treatments, etc. Firefighters will be paid their regular hourly rate for all hours worked ...
Read More »Is the Future of the Fluctuating Workweek for Firefighters in Question?
Does your fire department use the fluctuating workweek method (FWW) of overtime compensation? A recent federal appeals court decision may have you looking for an alternative. Recently, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals limited the ability of some employers to use the FWW method of overtime compensation. Before we can discuss recent developments, let’s explain the FWW, and why you ...
Read More »City Looks to Curb Firefighter Overtime in New Contract
The Austin City Council is set to review a new contract between the city and firefighters later this week. The new agreement changes, among other things, the way overtime is paid to the city’s firefighters. The agreement comes on the heels of a recent report that found overtime for the Austin Fire Department had increased 147 percent between 2014 and ...
Read More »FLSA + Promotional Exam Question = Confusion
Today’s FLSA Question I attended one of your Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for Fire Departments seminars last year. I learned a great deal about the FLSA over those three days. However, I just took a promotional examination for deputy chief within my fire department and found the following question: Which of the following must be true in order for ...
Read More »PulsePoint CPR Notification System and the FLSA
Today’s FLSA Question I am a fire chief. My EMS chief wants us to consider a CPR notification system known as PulsePoint. It notifies trained citizens (and off-duty firefighters) when there is a CPR incident nearby so that immediate aid can be rendered. It’s a wonderful system, and as this video shows, one of the best uses for it could involve ...
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