HAMMOND, Ind. — A former emergency medical technician (EMT) and paramedic for Prompt Medical Transportation Inc. has filed a potential class action wage and overtime pay lawsuit in Indiana federal court. The overtime pay lawsuit alleges that Prompt Medical, which does business as Prompt Ambulance Service and Indiana EMS, violated Indiana state law and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). According to the claim, Prompt denied EMTs and paramedics overtime when they worked more than 40 hours in a workweek.
The Ambulance Claim
Steven Schroers, the former EMT and paramedic who filed the lawsuit on behalf of himself and other similarly situated employees, claims the company’s policies led to at least 10 hours of unpaid overtime on a regular basis. In Schroers’ claim, the company allegedly has a policy of requiring EMTs to receive approval before they may be paid for overtime, yet the company regularly required EMTs and paramedics to work off the clock performing tasks like preparing the ambulances to respond to calls and other tasks which cannot be completed during their shifts. Additionally when the human resource department was contacted regarding overtime, the lawsuit alleges that either overtime was not approved or it was not paid. And the company’s time system allegedly rounded employees’ time so that the employees were only credited for their scheduled shift, instead of for the actual time the employees worked.
In addition to the off-the-clock work performed before and after a shift, Schroers claims the company encouraged EMTs to provide unpaid “volunteer” work at community events, attend unpaid company meetings, and perform other work related activities during non-shift time. At least 100 EMTs were affected over the last three years by the off-the-clock work and volunteer practices and could be included in the lawsuit. Schroers is requesting class certification so other EMTs eligible to opt-in to the lawsuit may be contacted.
Off The Clock Work
Off-the-clock work is a frequent cause of wage and overtime violations. Employers are required to pay employees for all of the time the employee works for the employer. There are a few exceptions such as time spent going to and from work, walking into the building, and, in some cases, post-shift security screenings. But as a general rule, if an employee is performing work that is requested by the employer and necessary for their primary duties the employee should be compensated for their time.
If you believe you are being asked or required to perform off-the-clock work for your employer and you are not receiving compensation for all of the hours you work, you may have a wage or overtime pay claim. Our knowledgeable team of overtime pay lawyers can be reached at (855) 754-2795. Or you may complete our Free Unpaid Overtime Case Review form and our legal team will evaluate your claim. If we accept your case, we will represent you under our No Fee Promise. This means there are no legal fees or costs unless you receive a settlement.