Today’s burning question: Does a fire department have to include payments made in lieu of accepting health benefits in a firefighter’s regular rate for purposes of calculating overtime?
Answer: Yes, and that is one of the central issues in a recently filed FLSA suit in California.
Fifteen firefighters with the Marinwood Community Services District have filed suit in US District Court in San Francisco claiming the district has been improperly calculating their overtime. The suit was filed as a class action on behalf of all similarly situated firefighters in the department.
