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In a recent settlement of a collective action overtime lawsuit, Riggan Law Firm, LLC, a St. Louis overtime law firm, obtained a settlement for its clients for a total value of $70,000. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a group of paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs). The Plaintiffs in the case alleged that they worked hours in excess of forty hours per week but were not paid one-and-one-half times their regular hourly rate for overtime hours as required by the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). Specifically, the Plaintiffs alleged that they were required to be on call for extended periods of time and that they had to be immediately responsive to radio calls once they were received from a dispatcher. The primary dispute in the case was whether the plaintiffs’ on-call time was compensable work time such that it had to be included in the employees’ work hours for purposes of calculating their entitlement to overtime pay. The Plaintiffs argued that their personal activities were sufficiently restricted during their on-call time that they were “engaged to wait” rather than “waiting to be engaged,” which is the analysis conducted by courts to determine whether on-call time is compensable under the FLSA.
The $70,000 settlement consists of unpaid wages and liquidated damages paid to the class members, an incentive award to the lead/representative Plaintiff for his efforts in prosecuting the lawsuit, and attorneys’ fees and costs/expenses paid to the Plaintiff’s attorneys, Riggan Law Firm, LLC. In addition, the Defendant in the lawsuit agreed to pay 100% of the costs of court-ordered mediation, which was the mechanism by which the case was resolved.
If you believe you have been denied overtime pay, or if you want to learn more about your rights, you should contact a St. Louis overtime lawyer at Riggan Law Firm, LLC.