MEMPHIS — A former Tennessee firefighter recently filed a class action unpaid overtime lawsuit against the city of Mt. Juliet, claiming he and other firefighters are owed thousands of dollars in back wages for consistently working past the overtime pay threshold.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court Middle District of Tennessee, alleges the plaintiff and other firefighters working for the city were not paid time and a half for their hours worked for an approximately two-year period from September 2014 until March 2016.
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, most hourly employees are entitled to one and a half times their average hourly wages for the time they spend on the job above the 40-hour per week overtime threshold. However, the FLSA does have a higher 53-hour per week (212 hours in four weeks) overtime threshold for firefighters.
Despite the higher threshold for firefighters, the plaintiff claims he routinely worked 240 hours in a four-week shift and was not paid time and a half for his overtime wages. The plaintiff claims he was instead paid regular hourly wages and that overtime was calculated by the average number of hours a team of firefighters worked.
In his lawsuit, the plaintiff alleges he was never informed about the city’s overtime pay policy at the time of his hiring in September 2014. It goes on to claim that his employer informed him and others in 2015 they would begin to receive time and a half when they worked more than 212 hours in a four-week shift but never received those types of wages until March 2016.
Although firefighters began receiving time and a half pay in March 2016, the plaintiff was not compensated for his back pay, according to the unpaid overtime lawsuit. The suit asked for back pay, interest on unpaid wages, liquidated damages, and attorney’s fees as compensation for the alleged wage theft.
The suit also seeks collective action status to allow any other similarly affected firefighters to join the suit and possibly recover their unpaid overtime wages, as well.
Firefighter Unpaid Overtime Lawsuits
Call (855) 754-2795 or complete the Free Unpaid Overtime Case Review form on the top right of this page if you feel that your wage rights are being violated under the FLSA. Our top-rated team of unpaid wage lawyers will evaluate your situation to determine your best course of action to help you seek justice.
Our office will also determine if it is in your best interest to file a lawsuit against your employer. Because strict time limitations apply for filing these types of claims, we advise you contact our experienced unpaid overtime wage attorneys at your earliest convenience and preserve your legal rights.