Overtime Lawsuit Filed by Kansas City EMTs

The U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Missouri was the site of a recent overtime lawsuit, filed on behalf of the EMT workers and paramedics of the city, according to the Kansas City Star. The suit may attain class action status, something the attorneys are pursuing, and claims that federal class action laws were violated by the city government in its payment of these workers.

The paramedics and EMTs of Kansas City are employed the city fire department. There are approximately 140 of the former and over 1,000 of the latter on the local government’s payroll. The suit comes as a reaction to potentially illegal shift assignment changes for these employees and the city’s alleged failure to pay them overtime compensation for hours worked over 40 in a week, or for all of the straight-time hours worked.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) explicitly states that a workweek must be consistently defined as 7 consecutive 24-hour periods, always beginning and ending on the same day. Two or more workweeks may not be averaged to determine the number of overtime hours an employee has worked, which are any over 40. Unfortunately, some companies either knowingly or unknowingly violates overtime law, resulting in a loss of overtime pay for their employees. 

The city claims that it is in compliance with federal regulations, and that the shift changes were scrutinized to ensure they met these standards. These laws can get very complex, which is why overtime lawsuits require the legal knowledge and ability of experienced attorneys. If you would like to learn more about overtime law as it pertains to your state and your profession, contact us today by completing the form on the right.