# Have a labor law question



## ASTMedic (Oct 27, 2007)

I work in northern Calif for a private ambulance and need some clarification on the labor laws dealing with breaks and meal time.

Right now we get no breaks or set meal time. If we are able to make it to a place to get food, order, and get food before running a call or moving for coverage then its a good day. Sometimes we dont get any down time other than the 5-10 min at the hospital doing paperwork other days are slow. I run between 6-10 calls in a 12hr shift on somedays and may not get down time for 6hrs. I'm getting paid normal for 10hrs and double after 12. We get paid for our lunch hour but I saw that Calif law gives you another hour if you worked with out a break. I looked all over but cant find any info. What does the law say for EMS?

Sorry it was so long but I wanted there to be no questions needed.


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## JJR512 (Oct 27, 2007)

I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV. I do not live or work in California. That said, I have researched your question, and believe I may have found something useful.

It appears that if you work at least five hours in a day, you are to be given at least 30 minutes for a meal. If you work more than ten hours per day, you are to be given two meal periods of at least 30 minutes each. However, it is difficult to assess if these meal periods should be paid. The law seems to require that the meal periods are paid if the employee remains "on duty" or if the employer requires the employee to remain on the premises. One could make the argument that unless you are allowed to leave your ambulance and go home to eat, you are still on your work premises; one could also argue that if you have a call lined up for you, you are still on duty. But the issue of if the meal period should be paid or not is getting beyond my ability to clearly comprehend at 3:00AM.

http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/FAQ_MealPeriods.htm


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## ASTMedic (Oct 27, 2007)

Thanks for the research.

Thats what I also found but I was wondering if I have a legal leg to stand on when it comes to the fact that many times we go long times without getting a true meal. They are paying us for all of the hours but we just never seem to get any time to eat.

I also saw that we should get an extra hour for working through lunch on top of the hour of pay during lunch.


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## Asclepius (Oct 27, 2007)

Welcome to EMS. You know longer work in a conventional work setting. You are at the mercy of the needs of your service area. Sometimes that means you get some down time and others you don't. I don't know what the laws say about it, but I can tell you that what you're describing is the norm for EMS. It is what it is.


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## Flight-LP (Oct 27, 2007)

ASTMedic said:


> Thanks for the research.
> 
> Thats what I also found but I was wondering if I have a legal leg to stand on when it comes to the fact that many times we go long times without getting a true meal. They are paying us for all of the hours but we just never seem to get any time to eat.
> 
> I also saw that we should get an extra hour for working through lunch on top of the hour of pay during lunch.



Your employer is doing no wrong. If you are being paid while on duty and it is consistant with either FLSA or the railway labor act, then that's the end of that conversation. You are not entitled to extra pay for "losing" lunch. Whether you eat or not has no relevance on the federal labor laws, sorry. As others have said, welcome to EMS!


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## oldschoolmedic (Oct 27, 2007)

*A point to consider*

If you are available for a call during your meal time, as opposed to being completely out of service, you are then to be compensated for that time as well. The same can be said for "sleep" times being deducted.

One county I worked for was successfully sued because we were being paid for 14 out of 24 hours of the work day. They were deducting 8 hours of pay for sleep time, then 2 hours total for meals. Unfortunately for them this was illegal and they ended up having to cut us rather large compensatory checks for lost wages and penalties. Rather than face the same lawsuits, the surrounding counties changed their pay systems to get in line with the federal labor guidelines of OT after forty hours a week, and no more deductions for meal or sleep times.

Look into how you are classified as an employee to see whether or not you fall under the public safety exemptions of the US labor codes. These codes (7K exemptions)have to deal with fire and police exemptions for pay and overtime, NOT ems unless they are performing dual duties.

Remember always tote a snack. Don't order sit down food, the buffets and fast food are your best bets. Anything that can be folded (except tacos, they drop stuff) is also good for driving code. I hope your employer sees the light becuase it sounds like too big and busy a service to be nitpicking pennies from their employees checks.


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## medic417 (Oct 27, 2007)

:sad:  If you study the labor laws that relate to EMS (most are actually based on fire:wacko you will find that we are exempted from regular federal labor laws(some states have strictor rules).  Did you know that a service can make you work 106 hours each 2 weeks before you are required to recieve overtime?  It is also assumed, sadly not accurately, that you will get enough down time to get meals and breaks.  You can contact your state labor division and get the correct answer for your state.


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## ASTMedic (Oct 27, 2007)

Thanks for the responses everyone.

Everything that you are all saying is nothing new to me. I've been on an ambulance or working fire for about 7 years but we're just SO busy now that we can't get a decent meal. (I should own stock in granola bars) I ran 9 calls in 6hrs the other night to give you an idea. They also limit our "area" while posting depending on coverage to the point that sometimes it's McDonalds or nothing.(Not having that)

I looked all over but about the only thing I could find info on was OT laws for EMS. So I figured I'd come to you guys/gals. Thanks


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## JJR512 (Oct 27, 2007)

Asclepius said:


> Welcome to EMS. You know longer work in a conventional work setting. You are at the mercy of the needs of your service area. Sometimes that means you get some down time and others you don't. I don't know what the laws say about it, but I can tell you that what you're describing is the norm for EMS. It is what it is.


And if we all settle for "it is what it is" we'd be all of us wearing white wigs and paying taxes to England. In a court of law, if one party says, "This is how we've always done it," and the second party says, "The law says something else," then the second party is going to win.



Flight-LP said:


> Your employer is doing no wrong. If you are being paid while on duty and it is consistant with either FLSA or the railway labor act, then that's the end of that conversation. You are not entitled to extra pay for "losing" lunch. Whether you eat or not has no relevance on the federal labor laws, sorry. As others have said, welcome to EMS!


I have skimmed the intro to the Railway Labor Act and it appears to concern labor standards to employees of and related to rail carriers, therefore I do not see how it applies to EMS workers.

As for the FLSA, it exempts certain types of employees from the regular wage & hour and overtime regulations. The exempted employees are of the "white collar" variety. Furthermore, the FLSA _explicitly does not exempt_ EMS workers:


> New section 541.3(b) states that the exemptions do not apply to police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, emergency medical technicians and similar public safety employees who perform work such as preventing, controlling or extinguishing fires of any type; rescuing fire, crime or accident victims; preventing or detecting crimes; conducting investigations or inspections for violations of law; performing surveillance; interviewing witnesses; interrogating and fingerprinting suspects; preparing investigative reports; and similar work.


(http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/fedreg/final/2004009016.htm)

Finally, the FLSA cannot be reduced or waived by state law, but can be exceeded. The California law I referenced earlier seems to provide a fairly clear answer to the original question.

Ultimately, this is an issue that should only be definitively answered by a practicing California lawyer. If you wish to find out whether or not you do have a valid claim to pursue, I'd suggest contacting both a private attorney as well as the state's department of labor (you should be able to find an appropriate representative to contact at the website linked to in my previous post). Do yourself a favor and do not discuss your research with your employer until if/when you consult an attorney, then have your attorney do your talking for you.


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## fyrdog (Oct 27, 2007)

I know of two private companies in Connecticut that had to compensate employees who were "clocked out" for meals and breaks. this was due to the fact that there were no specific request by the employee for meals/breaks and there was no documented meal/break time. Both companies just deducted the hours based on the meal/break laws. This occurred even if the crews worked through meals/breaks. FLSA doesn't buy "There was down time sometime during the shift." statement. Some of the employees received several thousand dollars because FLSA reviewed 5 years of time records.

Basically if they pay you through meals/breaks there is no problem on the companies part.

Note - My mother worked for FLSA and handled much of the paperwork on the above cases.


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## Flight-LP (Oct 27, 2007)

fyrdog said:


> Basically if they pay you through meals/breaks there is no problem on the companies part.



Exactly...........



			
				JJR512 said:
			
		

> I have skimmed the intro to the Railway Labor Act and it appears to concern labor standards to employees of and related to rail carriers, therefore I do not see how it applies to EMS workers.



The RLA applies to most EMS flight crews on aircraft operating under 14 CFR Part 135 (i.e. commercial operations). Most flight crews are considered "exempt" under FLSA due to this exemption and as such, are not required to be compensated for overtime.


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## JJR512 (Oct 28, 2007)

Ahh...sorry, I was talking about ground-based ambulances, because I assumed that's what the original poster was referring to.


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## ASTMedic (Oct 28, 2007)

Yes I was talking about ground transport. I am just looking to see if I can push the issue a little about breaks. Our call volume has jumped a butt load over the past year or so and they are doing nothing to help us out. We work 13,14,15 hr days and and they keep taking away the little perks from us. We can't even stop for food after an out of town transfer.


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## Flight-LP (Oct 28, 2007)

Have you considered employment elsewhere? If your company is not meeting your personal basic needs of safety (i.e. food), then maybe its time to look elsewhere. I take it by your last post that you workl for a private company. Are most of your runs transfers?


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## ASTMedic (Oct 28, 2007)

Yes private ambulance. No we run about an equal number of both. We're all 911 units and just take both transfers and 911.

Ya I'm looking into other jobs. Just dont feel like giving up a 3 min drive to work.


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## medic417 (Oct 28, 2007)

ASTMedic said:


> Yes private ambulance. No we run about an equal number of both. We're all 911 units and just take both transfers and 911.
> 
> Ya I'm looking into other jobs. Just dont feel like giving up a 3 min drive to work.



3 minute drive.  It is a 2 and a half hour to my main station.  I also have a station I am assigned occasionally to that is 3 anda half hours away.

But I do think you need to find a new job.  You could contact federal labor board and try and get things investigated.  Honestly though you would probably be pissing into the wind.


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## JJR512 (Oct 28, 2007)

It's a difficult situation you're in. You have a job very close to home, and you know this is EMS and you run 911 calls, and I'm sure you'd agree with me that when a 911 call comes in, you stop whatever else you're doing and go handle that immediately. Eating or not, labor laws or not.

I know from my own private ambulance experience it can be difficult to feel the same way about transfers or the other more routine non-911 apsects of the job. But I keep reminding myself of something that happened recently. I came into a county hospital with a very busy ED (usually ~three county 911 medic units sitting outside), and there was a line of county crews with patients on their stretchers. Some had been triaged and were waiting for rooms, some were still waiting to be triaged. So my partner and I came into the ED with an empty stretcher and several of them said things to the effect of, "Oh good, such-and-such is here!" We found our assigned patient and got her on the stretcher as quickly as possible, for I had heard a triage nurse directing traffic, telling one county crew that as soon as we got our patient out, and the room was cleaned, they could put their patient in that room.

So my point is that the commercial/private ambulance part, the so-called routine transfers, may not seem as glamourous, important, or urgent, but try to remember that by taking someone _out_ of the hospital, you're making room for someone else to come _in_. So these types of calls should be treated with the same sense of urgency, really.

Still, you need to eat to keep energy levels up. Personally, I bring sandwiches and snacks in a cooler and eat on the move (unloaded, of course!). If I don't bring food, we stop at a fast-food restaurant, and eat _that_ on the move. My advice is to bring food: This will be cheaper, probably healthier, and you won't have to worry that you won't get a few minutes to go buy something to eat or that when you feel like eating you won't be near a place to buy something.

I additionally recommend you discuss this problem with the management of your company. However, be sure to approach the issue like it's a problem you'd like to work with management to help resolve. Don't go to your boss and tell him what you think the law is and demand they comply with it.


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## Ridryder911 (Oct 28, 2007)

I have dealt with this before. The only way to really see what is in violation is to contact FSLA and have them investigate. One would then have to make a formal complaint ( it is anonymous) and determine on the ruling if the employer is violation or not. 

I was at a company that had to pay back over two years of overtime back to me, (since they only go back two yrs. further back is upon the requester). Many EMS assume they are compliant, it is hard to determine since EMS is exempt from many of the national standards (ground or air). Yes, EMS is a LOT different from any other employers. 

If you do not take action, some one else will hopefully later, yet how many medics will be gone through. Sounds like lousy management whom don't give a damn about their employees or patients. If they did they would allow appropriate break time and enough units to meet the needs of the company. 

R/r 911


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## ASTMedic (Oct 28, 2007)

It's nice to hear it's not just us (I've know that for a while). I understand that taking the transfers is just as important as the 911 I really do. The big problem that we as employees have is that they dont give a Sh**. They took a unit out of the daily rotation a few years back to save money and with the higher 911 call volume some of the shifts (almost) never get off on time. They give transfers out till we have one unit covering a very large response area (1233 sq mi, 161,700 people, 8 units at peak time) and then we, the field crews have to run into the ER and drop pt off and run out because they have 911 calls holding.

I can understand if the area is just busy and that's it but they are swamping us with calls and working us late just to make the all mighty dollar. The employees dont have a leg to stand on since we're not union so we're at the mercy of the owner. Our ambulances are held together with duct tape and bubble gum and I cant get a new uniform due to money issues. The ER is filling its beds with walk in pts that used to sit in the waiting room but since they want to look better they go right to a bed. Oh ya we have jobs open if anybody is interested.


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## medic417 (Oct 28, 2007)

Ridryder911 said:


> I have dealt with this before. The only way to really see what is in violation is to contact FSLA and have them investigate. One would then have to make a formal complaint ( it is anonymous) and determine on the ruling if the employer is violation or not.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Ridryder911 (Oct 28, 2007)

The FSLA has to have your information, however; will not reveal it to your employer. (as well, whistle blower act, your employer would not want to cause you problems) 

Talk to them and see what they have to say. 

R/r 911


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## BossyCow (Oct 29, 2007)

Flight-LP said:


> Your employer is doing no wrong. If you are being paid while on duty and it is consistant with either FLSA or the railway labor act, then that's the end of that conversation. You are not entitled to extra pay for "losing" lunch. Whether you eat or not has no relevance on the federal labor laws, sorry. As others have said, welcome to EMS!



Actually that depends on the state.  In our state, the employer is required to give you a half hour minimum for a meal break after 5 hours of work.  If that break is not given, you are paid for it extra but it does not count as overtime.  I would recommend reading your contract and employee manual.  It should give you the information you need to base your claim.


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## JJR512 (Oct 29, 2007)

BossyCow said:


> Actually that depends on the state. In our state, the employer is required to give you a half hour minimum for a meal break after 5 hours of work. If that break is not given, you are paid for it extra but it does not count as overtime. I would recommend reading your contract and employee manual. It should give you the information you need to base your claim.


From what I could tell from the bit of CA law I linked to previously, it's the same in CA. If the break isn't given, you get paid extra. If you don't get a 30 minute break, the employer is supposed to pay you for an extra hour, if I read and recall correctly. That time does not count toward "hours worked".

I'm going to have a labor issue with a previous employer. Not about breaks, but about overtime. My previous employer calculated overtime based on hours worked over 80 during a two-week pay period. This means you could work 50 hours one week and 30 the second and get no overtime. Someone at my new job heard about that and said that's wrong, so I looked into it, and sure enough, the state law says overtime is to be calculated on a 40-hours-in-one-week basis. There are many exceptions of various kinds for various types of workers, but none of them, as far as I can tell, apply to EMS workers. I plan to consult an attorney to confirm my previous employer is in fact in the wrong, and if they are, I plan to ask for my overtime to be recalculated and paid accordingly.


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## ASTMedic (Oct 29, 2007)

I found this in Calif law but not sure if it applies to us.



> If an employer fails to provide an employee a meal period in accordance with an applicable IWC Order, the employer must pay one additional hour of pay at the employee’s regular rate of pay for each workday that the meal period is not provided. IWC Orders and Labor Code Section 226.7  This additional hour is not counted as hours worked for purposes of overtime calculations.





> An "on duty" meal period shall be permitted only when the nature of the work prevents an employee from being relieved of all duty and when by written agreement between the employer and employee an on-the-job paid meal period is agreed to. The written agreement must state that the employee may, in writing, revoke the agreement at any time.



I dont remember signing anything.

I know firefighters are exempt from some of the labor laws but are we on the ambulance and if so what are they?


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## Ridryder911 (Oct 29, 2007)

ASTMedic said:


> I know firefighters are exempt from some of the labor laws but are we on the ambulance and if so what are they?




Yes, we are. Again, check wage and labor board. There are multiple versions for EMS, dependent upon working hours, population, etc..

R/r 911


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## ASTMedic (Oct 30, 2007)

I've looked all over and don't see anything that applies to just EMS. The do talk about OT on a 10hr shift but that is all I see. I was looking at www.dol.ca.gov i think, under transportation. Nothing states if EMS is exempt from the laws stated. Should I be getting paid an hour on top of being paid for not taking a lunch?


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## ASTMedic (Oct 30, 2007)

One other question:

We are forced to stay on duty till there are enough units to cover the area but they will give out transfers to the point where we are stuck getting 911 calls and getting off 2 hours late. I know we cant leave the public without EMS but at what point do they have to get us off shift.


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## Ridryder911 (Oct 30, 2007)

ASTMedic said:


> I've looked all over and don't see anything that applies to just EMS. The do talk about OT on a 10hr shift but that is all I see. I was looking at www.dol.ca.gov i think, under transportation. Nothing states if EMS is exempt from the laws stated. Should I be getting paid an hour on top of being paid for not taking a lunch?



You won't see  all  the laws pertaining EMS and many other professions. For example, at one time I was a D.J. and they do not have to pay overtime unless the town is >125,000 people. Silly yes, but apparently a "glitch" in the system. 

If you are really serious about getting information, then contact the officials, rather than attempting to get the basics on your own. One still has to file a complaint to proceed, unless the administration is willing to take on face value, (which I doubt). 

R/r 911


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## fit4duty (Oct 30, 2007)

Buddy of mine used to work for AMR and they had worked in specific lunch and meal periods into their contract language. The practical application was not so fun as some of their idiot supervisors would wake up crews to inform them that it was time for their break. maybe i am in the minority here but i have found that the best ways of getting meals and such done with some kind of regularity was to make friends in the comm center, or always carry something with you. With the outfit i work for now, i have been able to keep a fairly regular eating pattern, because of those two things. A cooler in the ride and a microwave in the ER is all i need to get through. Its ok not to clear right away. i have always delivered much better service on a full tummy 

And for what is worth my very first job was as an E was with a small private that paid us 18hrs (the up time) 0600-0000 and then only paid us for 'up time' when we took a call after midnight getting at least 2hrs if we were canceled. They eventually changed it, there was no law suit as far as i knew but back then i was just a wide-eyed pion


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## ASTMedic (Oct 30, 2007)

fit4duty said:


> A cooler in the ride and a microwave in the ER is all i need to get through. Its ok not to clear right away. i have always delivered much better service on a full tummy



Thats what I do now. Only problem with that is we are available for code 3 five min after we arrive at the ER. Unless we have a code or need to decon but we have to advise them of those needs.

Management has no concern about anything but the money and thats it. One of my friends ran a call the other day for a man down. Long story short he was hypotensive and dying but refusing care and had a DRN. The family was there so my buddy was trying to calm them and answer questions. The whole time the on call supervisor was calling and harassing the crew telling them to clear scene because it was not their job to help the family.

So you get an idea how easy it would be to take a few min to eat lunch.

Oh and I also have a call into the DLSE.


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## MMiz (Oct 30, 2007)

Back when I worked as an EMT I'd grab lunch and eat it when I had time.  I always assumed it was illegal, but it was EMS.  

Now that I'm a teacher I get 9 minutes for lunch.  I'm guessing it's legal because we only work from 7:45-3:30.  I want them to find a day that I arrive as late as 7:45 and leave as early as 3:30.  One day... one day.


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## JJR512 (Oct 30, 2007)

ASTMedic said:


> Management has no concern about anything but the money and thats it. One of my friends ran a call the other day for a man down. Long story short he was hypotensive and dying but refusing care and had a DRN. The family was there so my buddy was trying to calm them and answer questions. The whole time the on call supervisor was calling and harassing the crew telling them to clear scene because it was not their job to help the family.


Funny you should mention an example like that. Just today I was reading my Geriatric EMS text book, a section about how to deal with a dying patient (some good advice in there that applies to all patients, geriatric or not). It specifically mentions that in this situation (a dying Pt. w/ DNR), the EMS provider should help the family by keeping them calm and answering their questions.


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## ASTMedic (Nov 2, 2007)

JJR512 said:


> Funny you should mention an example like that. Just today I was reading my Geriatric EMS text book, a section about how to deal with a dying patient (some good advice in there that applies to all patients, geriatric or not). It specifically mentions that in this situation (a dying Pt. w/ DNR), the EMS provider should help the family by keeping them calm and answering their questions.



Gee and that's what he was doing but these :censored: loose all heart as soon as they get supervisor.

So back to the legal issue.(Sorry this might be long) First I want to thank everyone for their input. Ridyder, thanks for pointing me in the right direction.:beerchug:

I called the DLSE and spoke with them and they say that since we work a 12hr shift we should be getting 2 30min meal breaks and if not then we should be getting an extra hour. We can wave one but that looks like it. I called two different offices just to get two different views on the law (both were kinda shaky) and they both couldn't see anyway that EMS is exempt. We're only exempt when it comes to OT.

One other thing that caught my eye while reading over laws was about getting off shift. We are currently stuck there till they say its ok to go. Could be an hour or two till we get off but I saw some laws that show regulations on relief from duty. So I'm going to call tomorrow/today to see what they say.

So now how should I go forward? Should I file with the DLSE alone or should I get a lawyer too?? I found a good lawyer that used to be a FF/Medic thats in the area. I just want to make this as airtight as possible.


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## OreoThief (Nov 15, 2007)

Try to think about things from an employer's point of view. It can almost be compared to mass casualty triage..... it just one of those things that has to be done, and it's not fun, but it is necessary.


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## scottcole (Jan 19, 2010)

*On Duty Meal Periods*

Did you folks ever get an answer to the question of the legality of working through your meal or rest breaks? I am an employment attorney and am happy to address any further questions through this forum you have. This is not and ad for our services, just an offer to answer questions.


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## EMSLaw (Jan 20, 2010)

Generally speaking, if you are an hourly employee, and are not paid for lunch, and you do not get the opportunity to eat lunch, then you should be paid for that as work time.  

Wal-Mart recently settled a huge wage-and-hour lawsuit over similar allegations.  Essentially, your employer does not have the right to simply deduct a half-hour from your paycheck on days when you can't actually eat.  If they want you to be available for your entire shift, then they should pay you for your entire shift.  If they want you to take a 30 minute meal break, then they should schedule that.  

Important disclaimer - This isn't legal advice, and labor law is often quite nuanced, especially here where you're going to be at the intersection of state and federal labor laws.  Since it's totally out of my field, I would suggest that you talk to someone who deals with wage-and-hour issues.  If your company is reasonably large and makes this a policy, you might find an attorney willing to take the case on a contingency basis.  The downside of these sorts of cases is that the recovery is often too small to justify the time, though I believe that certain statutes may provide for fee-shifting, treble-damages, and the like.  Again, something you'd need to consult with an attorney in your jurisdiction about.


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## EMSLaw (Jan 20, 2010)

scottcole said:


> Did you folks ever get an answer to the question of the legality of working through your meal or rest breaks? I am an employment attorney and am happy to address any further questions through this forum you have. This is not and ad for our services, just an offer to answer questions.



Speaking of someone who has more expertise than me...  

Now, when you have a case involving civil rights and constitutional law, then feel free to give me a call.


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## ditchdoctor1984 (Jan 22, 2010)

*Spoiled Brat*

First of all, you should be thankful you have a job re-re.  If you feel the need to stir the pot, go ahead, but remember there are always consequences when you do so, and you may not like the changes that come.  You envision yourself enjoying a leisurely lunch for an hour each day and maybe having 2-3 breaks in between.  If I were your employer, my first move would be to terminate each of you, and then rehire all of you as "independent contractors" and just pay a straight salary and provide you with a 1099 form at the end of the year. No benefits, no retirement, no overtime, no meals or breaks, just straight pay.  

I remember a large urban system that taught its employees a lesson.  They won an FLSA suit for overtime and got big checks.  It was rumored they would lose their 24/48 shift due to the suit, but the medics said "they dont have enough of us to staff 12 hour shifts, so it will never happen".  The county put them on 3 "13" hour shifts consequetively, and cut the number of trucks up after midnight by about a 30-40%.  Imagine a one hour commute each way, 13 hours of work if you got off on-time, and then you had to come back and do it again the next day. 

They have this real cool invention called a "cooler". This invention allows you to store food and snacks in a portable container that will fit in your ambulance, thereby allowing you to eat whenever you find the time, or on the way to calls if you cant find the time.  Walmart sells them in the sporting goods section.

P.S.  When you shut down all of your trucks for an hour between 11-1p, and you have more calls than you do ambulances, then what do you do ?


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## EMSLaw (Jan 22, 2010)

Calling someone an indendent contractor doesn't make it so.  And the sort of retaliation you're talking about leads to further long, drawn-out, acrimonious lawsuits.  

The alternative way to look at the situation is that your employer has an obligation to pay you what you earn, and you deserve a day's pay for a day's work.


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