Vermont trooper accused of doctoring timesheets
Sgt. Jim Deeghan, a Vermont State Police patrol commander recently resigned from his position after he was accused of doctoring timesheets to bump up his overtime employee attendance. According to the claims, Deeghan was adding hours that he didn't actually work to boost his salary. The officer earned $58,325 in overtime last year, which was on top of his regular pay, according to the Burlington Free Press.
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guarantees that certain nonexempt workers get paid at least minimum wage for all of their time attendance in addition to premium pay (usually one-and-a-half times their regular rates) if they work more than 40 hours a week. Police officers, firefighters and first responders are covered by the FLSA and qualify for these labor rights benefits.
However, it appears that the timekeeping system for state employees in Vermont has left room for abuse, according to WCAX-TV. The news source investigated the payroll process after learning about the trooper's allegation and found that workers are expected to fill out their own timesheets, using different codes for standard hours worked and overtime. At the end of a two-week pay period, employees turn the documents over to supervisors who are supposed to review them before sending them on for payroll processing.
Departments that operate on an honor system might find it beneficial to update their equipment with a timeclock or updated software that can eliminate human errors or inaccuracies.
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guarantees that certain nonexempt workers get paid at least minimum wage for all of their time attendance in addition to premium pay (usually one-and-a-half times their regular rates) if they work more than 40 hours a week. Police officers, firefighters and first responders are covered by the FLSA and qualify for these labor rights benefits.
However, it appears that the timekeeping system for state employees in Vermont has left room for abuse, according to WCAX-TV. The news source investigated the payroll process after learning about the trooper's allegation and found that workers are expected to fill out their own timesheets, using different codes for standard hours worked and overtime. At the end of a two-week pay period, employees turn the documents over to supervisors who are supposed to review them before sending them on for payroll processing.
Departments that operate on an honor system might find it beneficial to update their equipment with a timeclock or updated software that can eliminate human errors or inaccuracies.
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