by Nicole Bradford
A City of Pearland change on how overtime pay is calculated has impacted morale and could result in staffing shortages, representatives of Pearland’s police and firefighters told council members Monday.
The city on Sept. 18 announced changes to its FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) practices, including not counting benefit time toward hours worked as it had in the past.
While the change saves on labor, it also puts Pearland at a disadvantage compared to other cities, Pearland Professional Firefighters Association president Jeff Cotton told council members.
“To attract and retain the best talent, we need to offer more competitive benefits than our peers,” he said. “The reality is that it will complicate our ability to backfill positions, particularly when relying on overtime. Just recently during the weekend of Oct. 5 and 6, several EMS transport units were shut down due to staffing shortages.”
The change has also affected morale among employees, Cotton said. Pearland Police Officers Association president Adam Carroll agreed and on Monday asked the city council to consider excluding comp time from the new policy.
“We think that could be a reasonable compromise,” Carroll said. “Employees view comp time as time earned vs. time that is given to them like vacation.”
Public safety is a top priority, he said.
“I’m just asking, ‘What does it mean?’ Show people,” Carroll said.
At the request of Councilman Tony Carbone, members agreed to put the item on a future meeting agenda for discussion; the council cannot deliberate on items that aren’t on the agenda.
City resident Jimmy Davis spoke in support of the changed policies.
“The FLSA which governs overtime pay defines hours worked as all time the employee must be on duty or on the employer’s premises,” Davis said.
