Are Government Employers Failing to Pay Proper Overtime?

Police Officers. Firefighters. Emergency Responders. These dedicated public servants risk their lives every day. Yet, in many cases, they may not be receiving the full overtime compensation they are legally owed.

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and many state wage laws, public sector employees must be paid “time and a half” not only on their base hourly rate—but on all forms of guaranteed incentive pay, including:

• Longevity pay

• Stress pay

• Detective or bomb squad stipends

• Emergency response bonuses

• Canine unit stipends

Unfortunately, some cities and public agencies miscalculate overtime wages by using only the base rate, illegally excluding these mandatory pay components. As a result, first responders who work significant overtime may be shorted hundreds or even thousands of dollars annually.

Why Overtime Pay Matters

Federal courts have repeatedly ruled that all non-discretionary bonuses and stipends must be factored into overtime pay. If you routinely work more than 40 hours per week and receive incentive-based pay, you may be entitled to substantial back wages.

We’re Investigating

Our firm is actively investigating whether public agencies nationwide are violating overtime laws. If you work in law enforcement, firefighting, or emergency services and suspect your overtime pay has been undercalculated, we encourage you to reach out. We’ve successfully represented workers in these matters—including in Collins v. DC, where we helped Washington, D.C. firefighters recover unpaid hazard pay that was wrongly excluded from overtime.

Contact Us

We offer free, confidential consultations and have extensive experience helping workers recover unpaid wages. Contact us at [email protected] or call (202) 470-3520 to learn more about your rights.