Just recently the city finance department stuck there heads further up their asses and decided that the city employee's i.e. police, road crew, environmental department and such could not earn comp time or over time in the same two weeks that comp time or vacation was taken. If you don't work your full 40 hrs then they just pay you normal rate when they should be paying overtime or you should be earning comp. Working for the police department we get federal and state grants to work overtime shifts doing DUI enforcment. This is money not paid by the city but we still get screwed out of the money so the city ends up ahead.

Thoughts and opinions anyone

I was under the impression that the federal grant money for traffic enforcement was to be on overtime unless it was a specifically scheduled "on duty" detail which we have to do from time to time.  I would think this would be a violation of the grant, because if it was on the "up and up" to do this kind of stuff depts. all over the country would be doing it.  


What do they do if you work 32 hrs in a week, use 8 hrs of vacation and then 16 hours of overtime?  Do they give you the 16 hrs at straight time, so in effect you worked 48 hrs of straight time?  Or do they give you 40 hrs of straight time and 8 hrs of overtime?

Regardless you are being screwed.  You are being penalized for utilizing time YOU earned either through shift extensions, court or contractual leave given to you by your employer.   I think a good labor attorney is in order.  

Public safety employees get the shaft when it comes to overtime.  If you took vacation or sick time during the 2 week pay cycle, your overtime hours are straight time.  I don't know the federal labor regulations off the top of my head, but you had to work so many hours over 80 in a two week cycle WITHOUT taking sick and/or vacation time before getting time-and-a-half overtime pay.  There is an exemption for regular overtime pay when it comes to public safety sector.  Put your life on the line, and you get shafted on overtime too.  

Been working for a private university police dept for 4 years now.  Anything over 40 hours per week (vacation, sick, and/or holiday) is 1.5 times overtime.  Way it works out, if I work on a holiday, I end up getting double time-and-a-half.  

We had the same problem when the city tried to put it into our contract that we follow other city employees (non-civil service) and have to actually be at work a full 40 hours before overtime.

During negotiations we convinced them that it made no difference in overtime paid since another officer that was not on vacation would simple take the overtime that week. No officer was going to work for regular time and would simply allow another officer that had worked the 40 hour week to take it. They saw the light and allowed us to make overtime even if we had taken comp time, vacation, in service school, etc.

Therein lies one of the great benefits of having a contract.

SEIU (street/water) Department thought they were hot sh*t because they settled their contract in 3 weeks.

They didn't realize that the City had slipped in an "Aggregate Hours of Work" clause, that basically said if you use ANY leave (Vaca, Sick... whatever) you don't accrue OT until you've physically worked 40 hours.

ETA - it could also be construed to include trade / standby time... which would be great if you were the standee, but suck if somebody covered you with a "TBA" payback date.

They talked about that with us during negotiations... we told 'em to pound sand.

Quoted: Yeah check the labor boards. There might be something on this in the statues.

+1  


Dept. Of Labor


Also check your FOP (If you have one and see if thats part of your contract)

Check for more info regaurding your postition,  but I'm in a simular position...

I just recently took a vaction and when I got my paycheck at the end of the month I realized it was short, they had removed my supervisor pay for the week I was gone stating I was not there to be a supervisor , LOL!!   needless to say and a little investigation into the matter and a brief talk with the higher ups it was resolved and they payed me the diference...

SOP for almost any business that allows accrual of comp and sick time.

Not illegal or uncommon.  It's the same where I work.