KANSAS CITY — The Kansas Supreme Court recently ruled a former Kansas Bureau of Investigations (KBI) agent may follow through with his unpaid overtime lawsuit against the KBI to recover his back wages and hold the agency responsible. The plaintiff claims that his employer terminated him as retaliation for refusing to work excessive overtime and altering payroll records to pay agents as little as possible.
After his promotion to senior special agent in the KBI’s Southwest Kansas Drug Task Force, the plaintiff claims his supervisors ordered him not record all hours worked on timesheets because the KBI would pay too much overtime. In lieu of receiving overtime each pay period, the plaintiff alleges his employer would “negotiate” an overtime bonus every few months, a policy contrary to the KBI’s own policy on payroll and record keeping.
Within a few months on the job, the plaintiff complained to his supervisor about not receiving all his overtime pay and informed the defendant he would work no more than five hours of unpaid overtime each week. The defendant allegedly rebuffed the plaintiff’s demand to receive all owed wages, informing the plaintiff he would need to continue working 10 to 20 overtime hours each week without pay.
Months later, the defendant reviewed the plaintiff’s timesheets and discovered that the agent was recording all his overtime and receiving these wages in defiance of the alleged illegal order to manipulate his time sheets. In response, the defendant launched an investigation into the plaintiff’s overtime wages and determined the agent “falsified” timesheets by comparing them to the records of other employees who were not claiming all their hours.
The plaintiff was fired and then complained to the Department of Labor (DOL) about his treatment. The DOL launched its own investigation and ordered the KBI to pay the plaintiff over $20,000 in back pay. The investigation also recovered unpaid overtime for four other agents and resulted in the KBI making serious changes to its payroll and record keeping practices.
Law Enforcement Unpaid Overtime Lawsuit
Call (855)754-2795 or complete the Free Unpaid Overtime Case Review form on the top right of this page if you feel that your wage rights are being violated under the FLSA. Our top-rated team of unpaid wage lawyers will evaluate your situation to determine your best course of action to help you seek justice.
Our office will also determine if it is in your best interest to file a lawsuit against your employer. Because strict time limitations apply for filing these types of claims, we advise you contact our experienced unpaid overtime wage attorneys at your earliest convenience and preserve your legal rights.