HomeMy WebLinkAbout5.E.1. Amendment to Personnel Handbook for Paid-on-Call Firefighters-Res. No. 6888
S. E. I.
City of Shako pee
MEMORANDUM cor~I~\~i~"'1i\l'I
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TO: Mayor and City Council 'Q~3tJ~ ,
Mark McNeill, City Administrator
FROM: Kris Wilson, Assistant City Administrato~
SUBJECT: Amendment to Personnel Handbook for Paid-on-Call Firefighters
DATE: April 1, 2009
Introduction
The Council is asked to adopt Resolution No. 6888, amending the Personnel Handbook for Paid-
on-Call Firefighters.
Background
The City has four full-time employees who are also paid-on-call firefighters. When the total
hours worked by these individuals in a single work week exceeds 40, we are required by law to
pay them overtime. Currently, the City has a policy that assumes that the hours worked as a
firefighter are the overtime hours and therefore we pay them time and a half of their firefighter
wage for their fire calls, assuming they put in a full 40 hour work week at their full-time position.
This policy is included in the Personnel Handbook for Paid-on-Call Firefighters.
Through recent trainings and conversations with payroll staff in neighboring cities we have
learned that this approach could be challenged under a literal reading of the regulations.
Therefore a change in our policy is needed. Instead of paying these individuals time and a half
of their firefighter wage, we should be using a blended rate calculation to determine their
overtime wages. The blended rate combines the total hours worked for the City at the respective
wage rates for their full-time position and their paid-on-call position to arrive at the overtime
amount owed: As a result, the exact dollar amount paid per hour of overtime will vary
depending on the number of hours the individual works as a paid-on-call firefighter and the
number of hours worked at their full-time job in a given week (not counting hours taken as paid
leave).
Budget Impact
This change in how we calculate overtime wages will result in higher overtime wages for the
four impacted employees. This increased cost will be charged to the Fire Department and
accommodated within their adopted budget for the year.
Relationship to Vision
This is a housekeeping item (F).
Requested Action: The Council is asked to offer Resolution No. 6888, a resolution amending
the Personnel Handbook for Paid-on-Call Firefighters, and move its adoption.
RESOLUTION No. 6888
A RESOLUTION AMENDING THE PERSONNEL HANDBOOK FOR PAID-ON-CALL
FIREFIGHTERS OF THE CITY OF SHAKO PEE
WHEREAS, the City's Personnel Handbook for Paid-on-Call Firefighters of the City of
Shakopee defines how overtime shall be calculated for those firefighters working two or
more City jobs; and
WHEREAS, the City has learned of the need to adjust the method used for calculating
overtime wages for such employees.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SHAKOPEE, MINNESOTA, that Chapter IV, Section F of the Personnel Handbook for
Paid-on-Call Firefighters of the City of Shakopee is hereby amended as follows:
F. Employees Holding Two or More City Jobs. Paid-on-call firefighters may also hold
other non-exempt positions with the City of Shako pee. However, the employee's
supervisor in their non-Fire Department position has the discretion to determine whether
and under what circumstances the employee may respond to fire-calls while working at
their non-Fire Department City position.
If the non-Fire Department supervisor authorizes an employee to respond to fire calls
while working, that employee shall continue to receive their regular rate of pay for their
non-Fire Department position while responding to the call, unless such time exceeds the
employee's scheduled shift. All applicable benefits a,nd leaves shall also p01itinue to
accrue without regard to time spent on fire calls.
Paid-on-callfirefighters who hold two or more City jobs shall be paid overtime for hours
worked for the City in excess of 40 hours per work week. Hours taken as paid/eave shall
not count toward the calculation of hours worked. The overtime rate shall be calculated
using a blended rate for the Citv ;obs held bv the individual emplovee. The hours '/t:or!wd
as a paid on cal!/ircfightcr shall bc considcr'cd the ovcr'time hours regardless o.l the
point within the ~'v'cd '/..hcn they occur, and therefore, the mlertime pay shall be time and
one ha(lo.lthe regular rate o.lpa) 'for paid on callfircfighters.
Adopted in regular session of the City Council of the City of Shakopee, Minnesota, held
this 7th day of April, 2009.
Mayor of the City of Shakopee
ATTEST:
I City Clerk
Examples of Blended Rate Calculation
Hours Worked Paid Leave Base Wage Reg. Earnings
Full-Time Job 40 0 $20.00 per hour $800.00
Firefighter Job 10 $10.00 $100.00
Total 50 $900.00
Total Earnings / Total Hours Worked = Blended Rate
$900.00 / 50 = $18.00 per hour
Overtime premium = )Iz = $9.00 per hour
Final Pay Hours Worked Wage Reg. Earnings
Full-Time Job 40 $20.00 per hour $800.00
Firefighter Job 10 $19.00 $190.00
Total 50 $990.00
Example #2
Hours Worked Paid Leave Base Wa e
Full-Time Job 32 hrs. 8 hrs. $20.00 per hour
Firefihter. Job 10 $10.00
Total 42
Total Earnings / Total Hours Worked = Blended Rate
$740.00 / 42 = $17.62 per hour
Overtime premium = )Iz = $8.81 per hoUr
Final Pay Hours Wage Reg. Earnings
Full-Time Job (worked) 32 $20.00 per hour $640.00
Full-Time Job (pd. leave) 8 $20.00 $160.00
Firefighter Job (reg.) 8 $10.00 $80.00
Firefighter Job (OT) 2 $18.81 $37.62
Total 50 $917.62