Michigan firefighters file lawsuit for lost overtime pay
On Oct. 1, 57 firefighters and eight former firefighters filed a lawsuit in United States District Court in Grand Rapids seeking about $1 million from the city of Battle Creek, Mich., according to the Battle Creek Enquirer.
The suit follows an investigation from the Department of Labor into the firefighters' allegation that they were not properly compensated for their 53-hour-per-week schedules between October 2010 and October 2012.
The initial investigation concluded that the city owed the workers about $253,000 in back pay, which they revised to $73,265 in July. The firefighters filed the lawsuit on Tuesday, claiming that this amount was insufficient.
In an interview with WOOD TV8, plaintiff Chuck Daws, a retired firefighter said, "All we want is what we got coming… There's no break in our job. So overtime is kind of a hardship for families."
The workers believe that a faulty time and attendance software system rounded down hours if the firefighters worked less than 15 minutes of the hour. This resulted in uncompensated overtime wages, the employees say. The firemen also allege that they were not compensated for travel time from one station to another.
To avoid costly lawsuits, it is advisable to properly utilize payroll systems. Accurate time and attendance software can prevent lawsuits by properly logging the overtime hours of employees.
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