A lawsuit that began nearly two years ago finally reached a conclusion on Monday. In May of 2012, 23 police officers sued the city of Jackson, Miss., for unpaid overtime wages. The officers' uncompensated hours totaled 15,158, around $240,000 in lost wages. The officers were among 255 policemen offered vacation time instead of back pay. While many of the officers accepted this option, 23 decided to sue, alleging they should have the option of receiving the back pay.

This week, the Jackson City Council approved a settlement granting the policemen $413,600, nearly double the amount the Department of Labor said Jackson owed them in 2012. In an interview with the Clarion-Ledger, city attorney Pieter Teeuwissen said the former administration should have compensated the workers earlier.

"The longer you litigate, if you end up losing, the more you end up paying," Teeuwissen said.

In an interview with the Jackson Free Press, attorney Jeffrey Reynolds, who represented the policemen, stated that the DOL determined that multiple payroll oversights by the organization were partially responsible for the situation. The city has since switched to a more accurate electronic time and attendance software system. Between Oct. 1, 2011, and July 31, 2012, the first fiscal year that the electronic system was in place, it had already saved the city more than $500,000, the Jackson Free Press reports.

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