The Fair Labor Standards Act ensure that employees receive proper compensation for the hours that they work. Texas workers who put in a large number of hours expect overtime to be paid accordingly. If employees notice that they are not receiving their overtime pay, report the matter and do not receive all of the money to which they believe they are entitled, they may choose to take the matter to court.
A group of firefighters from another state are claiming that they were denied overtime pay. The plaintiffs claim that they were eligible to receive overtime if they worked more than 212 hours over the course of 28 days. The firefighters allege that during a four-week period, they regularly worked 216 hours.
One of the plaintiffs asserts that he discussed the issue with the mayor, as well as with both the current and former fire chiefs. Although he says that he complained, nothing was allegedly ever done to rectify the payment issue. The mayor, however, stated that no one told him about the overtime pay issue until months afterward. He also claims that a meeting was called to discuss the issues as soon as he learned of it. He also remarked that if money is owed to the men, he will see that it is paid, and he wishes that someone had talked to him about the matter.
The firefighters are asking to be awarded monetary damages, court costs and the overtime pay that they believe they are due. It is best practice for Texas employees to keep an eye on their pay stubs to make sure that they are receiving the correct compensation. If a discrepancy occurs and the issue remains unresolved, the workers may choose to go forward in utilizing the court system in order to recover the money that they are due.
Source: firehouse.com, “Ala. Firefighters File Federal Lawsuit Over Back Wages”, Tiffeny Owens, Jan. 16, 2015
