After news broke that fire department officials in Topeka, Kan., were receiving overtime payments for extra time and attendance, the city launched an investigation into the matter. As a result of the investigation, the city announced fire department managers and other officials will no longer be eligible for overtime pay beginning Nov. 9, 2013.

The three shift commanders and six battalion chiefs who have been bringing home overtime payments for years were doing so despite their legal standing as exempt workers, as mandated by the Fair Labor Standards Act. The nine workers were reportedly unaware of their legal standing as exempt and were consistently awarded overtime payments for clocking in more than 40 hours per week.

Topeka Councilman Chad Manspeaker commented on the matter during a budget meeting.

"We have done something wrong here, and it needs to be reined in immediately," Manspeaker said.

During the budget meeting, the city council decided to cut $100,000 from the fire department's 2014 budget, reflecting the cost savings achieved by halting overtime payments for managerial staff. In 2012, fire department officials earned a combined $145,000 in such compensation.

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