First Responder Overtime Virus Pay at Risk Under DOL Rule: Union

A Labor Department rule on fluctuating schedules set to take effect in July could cut overtime pay for first responders in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a national union that represents firefighters and emergency medical technicians.

The rule makes it easier for employers to use the fluctuating workweek method of calculating pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Those who support the change say it shields employers from lawsuits when they give bonuses to workers. The union and public-sector worker advocates say it could lead to pay cuts and excessive overtime shifts for firefighters and EMTs because ...