The city of Frederick, Oklahoma has agreed to pay 29 current and former employees $60,911 following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD). The investigators found violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) minimum wage, overtime, and recordkeeping provisions. The city is subject to the FLSA as a public agency employer.
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Get Your Report Now! “State and local government employers are responsible for ensuring that their employees are properly classified and compensated for all hours worked, in compliance with the FLSA’s minimum wage, overtime and record-keeping provisions,” said Cynthia Watson, regional administrator for the Wage and Hour Division in the Southwest.
Investigations by the WHD’s Oklahoma City District Office found that the employees—including police officers as well as water, sewer and electrical workers—had been improperly classified as exempt from the FLSA, and consequently denied overtime compensation.
Investigators found that some employees were required to work long hours (for example, police officers who often worked more than 85 hours in a workweek) but paid “straight time” cash wages or given compensatory time off at straight time rates.
The city also failed to maintain accurate records of employees’ wages and work hours, in violation of the act’s recordkeeping provisions.
The city of Frederick has agreed to pay the full amount of back wages, properly classify the affected employees as nonexempt under the FLSA, and maintain accurate time and payroll records for all employees in accordance with the law.