7k exemption dispatchers job

City employees assigned to duties as fire department dispatchers or. Civilian police department employees such as public safety dispatchers do not qualify for the fair labor standards acts flsa partial overtime exemption for police and firefighters set forth in 29 u. There are no employees who are either solely firefighters, emts, or paramedics. Although state and local government budget constraints may limit the number of dispatchers hired in the coming decade, population growth and the commensurate increase in 911 call volume is. In light of other case law, a recent proemployer decision from the eleventh circuit court of appeals, holding that a salaried dispatcher for a crane rental company qualified as an exempt administrative employee, adds credence to a question often asked by legal and human resources professionals. This is the trainee level class in the fire communications dispatcher series. Police officers, fire fighters and other first responders. Section a1 and section a17 also exempts certain computer employees. This topic provides an overview of flsa requirements for public safety employees and discusses. Although you will work through the police department, you must apply through the citys personnel office. Employment of police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers is projected to grow 8 percent from 2016 to 2026, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Shouldnt there be an hours of service rules exemption for. Employers hiring dispatchers often search for candidates with general jobrelated skills such as verbal and oral comprehension.

Overtime pay entitlement for public safety employees under. Oct 10, 2016 with a person who is joining in on this job, you are going to be able to grow and climb up the ladder as desired. The 207k exemption generally permits a government to work fire fighters 53 hours, police officers 43 hours, during a seven day work period before those. Employer name has been removed to protect anonymity. Tripp on march 24, 2014 cases upholding the exempt status of dispatchers pursuant to the administrative exemption of the flsa generally have focused on whether the position requires the performance of decisionmaking duties and analysis beyond mere communication.

Dispatchers generally are required to have at least a high school diploma or a ged. The overall job outlook for dispatcher careers has been positive since 2004. With a person who is joining in on this job, you are going to be able to grow and climb up the ladder as desired. If the employer concludes that these employees are currently nonexempt, it is possible to enhance their job duties so that they evolve into exempt employees. There is a high demand for professionals who have experience as they want the best at the helm of their 911. Dispatcher jobs dispatchers send help to callers as requested. Also, callers who are anxious or afraid may become excited and be unable to provide needed information. The job of public safety dispatchers is particularly stressful because a slow or an improper response to a call can result in serious injury or further harm. At that time, congress enacted the 207k exemption usually referred to as 7k exemption to allow firefighters who commonly worked an average of 4856 hours a week and police officers many of whom worked 4548 hour schedules to continue working those hours with minimal impact to taxpayers. The exemption does not include agency employees who do not fight fires on a regular basis, such as dispatchers, maintenance and office personnel. You indicate that the dispatchers are nonexempt employees who do not meet the requirements for exemption under flsa section 7k or a1. Another possibility is that the dispatchers may fit within the motor carrier exemption, but they must affect safety for this exemption, rather than simply dispatch vehicles. Prior to may 2, 2002, opms flsa regulations provided that all meal periods would be included as onduty time and as hours of work for flsa purposes for section 7k employees engaged in law enforcement activities.

Dear name this is in response to your letter requesting an opinion concerning payment of overtime compensation under the fair labor standards act flsa to civilian public safety dispatchers employed by your client the city. Specifically excluded from the exemption are the socalled civilian employees of fire departments or law enforcement agencies who engage in support activities, such as those performed by dispatchers, radio or alarm operators, apparatus and equipment repair and maintenance workers, janitors, clerks and stenographers 29 c. Career outlook for dispatchers not including police, fire. Also called public safety telecommunicators, the men and women who work as dispatchers for emergency services are easily some of the most focused individuals out there. Maximum nonovertime hours under 7k exemption public safety. The best part about doing this job is the fact as long as you are doing a good job, you will be able to keep it. As a result of this training, all employees can respond to any call where the city has the duty to respond. The applicability of the 207k partial overtime exemption to medics, firefighters, and even dispatchers is one of many topics covered indepth at all of the flsa for fire departments seminars. What is the section 7i exemption and does it apply to auto. Next browse through the available online job postings. About onethird were police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers, almost all of whom worked for state and local governmentsprimarily local police and fire departments. I have noted that most transportation employers consider these employees exempt because their job functions are critical to. Mar 24, 2014 ohio judge finds dispatchers to be exempt administrative employees by noel p. Chamberlain, kaufman and jones is a law firm with a nationwide reputation in helping employees receive the wages they are due for all hours worked, specializing in overtime law specifically collection of unpaid overtime pay due under the federal fair labor standards act flsa.

Some police officers and fire protection employees have 28day work periods. Apply to dispatcher, customer service representative, logistic coordinator and more. Employers hiring dispatchers often search for candidates with general job related skills such as verbal and oral comprehension. For instance, a qualifying law enforcement employee could work up to 43 hours in a sevenday period or 171 hours in a 28day period without. Dispatchers commonly work in the trucking and transportation industry, sending truckers to pick up and deliver materials, or the emergency services field, sending police, fire, and medical personnel to the homes of callers in distress. Ernie gonzalez was a firefighteremergency medical technician with the city of deerfield beach, florida from 1999 to 2005. Below are the most recent dispatchers salary reports. I have noted that most transportation employers consider these employees exempt because their job functions are critical to business operations. In anticipation of the towns defense, the officers sought a declaratory judgment that the town was ineligible for the flsas limited public safety exemption from overtime, 29 u.

Unless an overtime exemption applies, the fair labor standards act flsa requires employers to pay their employees overtime compensation for any work performed in excess of 40 hours in a workweek, defined as seven consecutive days. The hours of service are in place to stop that crap and try to keep the drivers safe. Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers future job demand. Does the 7k exemption apply to volunteer fire departments. Continuing our hours worked series, we will discuss the topic sleeping time and when it should be counted as hours worked for purposes of minimum wage and overtime under the fair labor standards act flsa. If the employer concludes that these employees are currently non exempt, it is possible to enhance their job duties so that they evolve into exempt employees. There should be a system in place that if the load is delayed that the destinations arrival time is moved to a safe time that can be made by the driver, then.

Apply to dispatcher, emergency dispatcher, public safety officer and more. How to become a 911 dispatcher in seattle, washington. Demand for dispatchers is expected to go up, with an expected 10,160 new jobs filled by 2018. You can do this online by first creating a job seeker account. With responsibilities varying depending on the industry in which the job takes place, the dispatcher job description can be hugely different from one employer to another. Law enforcement personnel the regulations setting out the requirements of the 7k exemption for law enforcement personnel are. Learn about special issues in applying the fair labor standards act flsa to police and fire employees such as the option to define an extended workweek, application to small departments, different ceilings on accrual of compensatory time, and rules for volunteer versus paid oncall fighters. An exemption from this requirement exists for peace officers. Eleventh circuit finds crane dispatcher to be exempt. Dispatchers regularly exercise discretion and independent judgment, and are exempt under the bona fide administrative exception of the flsa.

County of riverside fire communications dispatcher i. Fair labor standards act for police and fire employees. These exemptions can be met for employees who work in certain. Flsa requirements for public safety employees oracle docs. Dispatcher emergency salaries by education, experience. Department of labor dol ruled in an opinion letter recently made available. Guidance on applying flsa overtime provisions to law. The range for our most popular dispatcher emergency positions. Jan 15, 2001 from public employers guide to flsa employee classification, thompson publishing group. Sep 28, 2006 wage and hour division whd flsa200636. Ohio judge finds dispatchers to be exempt administrative. One narrowly construed exemption to the overtime requirement is for administrative and executive employees whose job duties are primarily managementrelated. From public employers guide to flsa employee classification, thompson publishing group. This partial exemption from the overtime provisions of the flsa is often referred to as the 7k exemption, or the tour of duty rules.

The importance of adopting the section 7k overtime. But department of labor dol regulations make it clear that the hours a firefighter is not workingbecause he or she is utilizing a substitute count toward hours worked for flsa overtime purposes. New flsa regulations require reevaluation of overtime exemptions. Apply to dispatcher, public safety officer, emergency dispatcher and more. An employer may establish a regular work period of up to 171 hours in a 28day period, and must pay overtime only after the employee works more than 171 hours in the work period.

The white collar exemptions for executive, administrative, and professional employees dont fit because service advisers dont perform the sorts of job duties that fall under those exemptions, and many of them are paid mostly on commission rather than on a salary basis. Fair labor standards act when sleeping time is considered. The flsa requires that most employees in the united states be paid at least the federal minimum wage for all hours worked and overtime pay at not less than time and onehalf the. Job requirements the 911 telecommunicator position requires one year of experience in emergency communicationsdispatch work. The white collar exemptions for executive, administrative, and professional employees dont fit because service advisers dont perform the sorts of job duties that fall under those exemptions, and many of them are paid mostly on commission rather than on a. The trucking company provided considerable evidence of the employees job duties. All firefighters that the city employs are crosstrained either as paramedics or emts. Some occupations require an employee to be on the employers premises and available to work even though there are periods of time. Jun 09, 2010 i have written a number of times about the difficulty of proving that the administrative exemption applies to dispatchers in the transportation industry. Ohio judge finds dispatchers to be exempt administrative employees by noel p. These support employees do not qualify for the partial exemption. I have written a number of times about the difficulty of proving that the administrative exemption applies to dispatchers in the transportation industry. The job therefore requires the ability to communicate effectively, as well as quick thinking in a fastpaced environment.