BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Bloomington city officials have taken steps to realign overtime pay formulas for firefighters. Because of the realignment, firefighters and retirees will share $235,000 in retroactive overtime compensation earned over the last two years. Retroactive payments will range from $85 to $5,000.
For the last several years the city has classified firefighters as working a “fluctuating workweek”. The classification resulted in firefighters being paid only half-time for overtime instead of the typical time-and-a-half. City officials reviewed legal rulings and federal guidelines in making the decision. No complaints or lawsuits were filed.
The new formula will consider the total amount of hours worked over the 28-day pay period instead of week-to-week. The adjustment will insure proper overtime pay for the future. The change will not affect the wages of firefighters in leadership positions.
