Fire Law Blog Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone

Tag Archives: exempt

Burning Question on Salary and Shift Work

Today’s burning question: Can a firefighter who works 24 hours-on, on 48 hours-off be put on salary? Answer: There are so many issues within your question. The first point has to do with your use of the term salary. A salary is simply one way an employee can be paid. Employees can be paid...

Chiefs, Overtime and Extra Compensation

Today’s burning question: We are losing senior instructors from our fire academy because they are being promoted to Battalion Chiefs (or higher), at which point we cannot compensate them to teach on their days off… not even straight time. I am told this is because they are exempt under the FLSA but cannot find any legal clarification that explains what is going on. Why can’t we at least pay these officers straight time to come back and teach on their days off?

Curt Varone has over 40 years of fire service experience and 30 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.

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