NYPD sergeants eligible for retroactive overtime pay
According to a recent federal appeals court decision, more than 4,000 sergeants working for the New York City Police Department are eligible to receive overtime back pay, Reuters reports.
The court ruled that the sergeants were misclassified as management, which exempted them from the overtime regulations set by the Fair Labor Standards Act.
The ruling marks the end of a battle that began in 2004, when sergeants challenged their classification and demanded overtime back pay for employee attendance that had exceeded 40 hours per week but was compensated at a straight pay rate.
In 2009, the Southern District of New York found that sergeants did meet the criteria for management classification. Arguing that their supervisory job requirements did not negate their other duties, the sergeants took the case to the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, which cited the fact that the plaintiffs "perform law enforcement duties alongside patrol officers (and) generally spend much of their time in the field with their subordinates" in its decision.
"We believe the ruling sets a major precedent in the FLSA field that will benefit first responders across the country," said Stephen Younger of Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler - the firm that represented the sergeants - as quoted by the news source.
The court ruled that the sergeants were misclassified as management, which exempted them from the overtime regulations set by the Fair Labor Standards Act.
The ruling marks the end of a battle that began in 2004, when sergeants challenged their classification and demanded overtime back pay for employee attendance that had exceeded 40 hours per week but was compensated at a straight pay rate.
In 2009, the Southern District of New York found that sergeants did meet the criteria for management classification. Arguing that their supervisory job requirements did not negate their other duties, the sergeants took the case to the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, which cited the fact that the plaintiffs "perform law enforcement duties alongside patrol officers (and) generally spend much of their time in the field with their subordinates" in its decision.
"We believe the ruling sets a major precedent in the FLSA field that will benefit first responders across the country," said Stephen Younger of Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler - the firm that represented the sergeants - as quoted by the news source.
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