Federal Payroll Audit Leads to Back-Pay

Responding to a complaint by Vail (Colo.) dispatchers, an audit by the federal Department of Labor (DOL) found that the city wasn’t paying dispatchers for extra time they spent arriving at work and getting ready for the job. According to the DOL, the dispatchers spent about seven extra minutes a day, but were not paid overtime as required by federal labor laws. As a result of the audit and the DOL’s findings, the 19 current and 14 former dispatchers will split about $30,000 in overtime pay, to be paid over a two-year period. Krista Miller, HR manager for the city, explained, ““What happened is that we have these highly committed employees who really care that 911 calls are being answered. So people came a few minutes before their scheduled shifts.” She said the city will adjust the dispatchers’ schedules to bring them into compliance with federal labor laws. She said shifts would either be shifted to accommodate preparation time, or dispatchers would be paid overtime for early arrivals and late departures.