Gayer explained that his department has a number of issues with time cards; he said his department would often receive calls from the auditor asking how an employee would like to be paid for working 20 minutes overtime. He said his officers get 12 hour shifts – no more, no less. If they get overtime, he said, it’s only by approval from a supervisor in an emergency situation.
County attorney Kevin Tankersley, however, said that violates federal law and employees must be paid for every minute they work. He said the current method exposes the county to wage and hour claims, and without a paper trail, the county can’t prove when the employee actually worked.
Tankersley said the department needs some way to document their time to prevent future litigation. Gayer said he will provide more time sheet information to the auditor beginning with the next pay period to get started, and down the road, he will ask the State Board of Accounts how to best address this issue in the future.
