According to a report in the Times Herald-Record, several police officers in Monticello, New York, have filed a lawsuit regarding unpaid overtime hours.
The Monticello police union, as well as several individual officers, have claimed village officials reneged on overtime wages. The lawsuit was filed on September 22 and seeks unspecified damages. The plaintiffs believe the village violated their rights to receive overtime pay as well as a review of their appropriate compensation under federal labor law.
Beginning in January 2010, the town’s officers agreed to begin 12-hour shifts, which results in a total of 84 hours every two weeks. During a month, these figures would produce eight hours of overtime. For the 16 months leading up to May, officers had been paid four hours of overtime at time and a half, and four hours of comp time. However, in May, the Village Board decided to decline any further payment of automatic overtime; yet, officers continued to work the longer-hour shifts.
The case highlights the importance of adhering to federal and state regulations, especially when dealing with labor laws. Failure to do so may result in a similar professional liability lawsuit and become damaging to a business’ reputation.
