It's no secret that the Harris County deputies union is furious with Sheriff Adrian Garcia. The Houston Chronicle reports that the union is now suing the Sheriff for forcing deputies to work mandatory overtime. In particular, union members have expressed aggravation over the hiring freeze in the Sheriff's Department, where nearly 400 jail and patrol positions are reportedly vacant. Of these positions, about 170 are deputy jobs.
It looks like Houston employment lawyers are getting involved in the case against Adrian Garcia. Union President Robert Goerlitz told the Houston Chronicle that the lawsuit comes after workers being worn out by the mandatory overtime. He says that most of the overtime needs would go away once the other positions are filled.
It's not always illegal to require employees of a company or agency to work overtime. However, the deputies union contends in their lawsuit that Sheriff Adrian Garcia's overtime policy is illegal because the sheriff has not publicly specified the emergency requiring it.
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires that employees who are not "exempt" receive overtime pay for any time worked beyond forty hours in any given workweek. There are, however, many different workers that can be exempt from FLSA's overtime rules. If you feel that you haven't received proper overtime wages or believe that you are illegally required to work more than 40 hours a week at your job, contact a Houston employment lawyer to learn more about what options you have when it comes to filing a claim.
Related Resources:
- Minimum Wage and Overtime Basics (FindLaw)
- See a Houston Employment Lawyer (FindLaw)
- Top 5 FLSA & Overtime Rules for Employers (FindLaw's Free Enterprise Law Blog)
ShareThis
