G.O. 18
LONGWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT
GENERAL ORDER
NUMBER: GO - 18
SUBJECT: OVERTIME COMPENSATION POLICY
EFFECTIVE: OCTOBER 1, 1995
REVISED: JANUARY 1, 2022
GENERAL ORDER
OVERTIME COMPENSATION POLICY
GO – 18 PAGE 1 OF 2
I. PURPOSE:
The purpose of this directive is to delineate the policy of the Police Department regarding
overtime allocation and compensation.
II. SCOPE:
The Fair Labor Standards Act (F.L.S.A.) generally requires employers to pay employees
overtime for all hours worked in excess of a 40-hour workweek. However, the Act
contains provisions exempting employees of public agencies engaged in law enforcement
duties. Employees engaged in support functions such as clerks, and other administrative
support personnel are not included under these exemptions.
III. DECLARING WORK PERIODS:
The number of hours worked prior to qualifying for overtime compensation is dependent
upon the particular work period declared by the public employer for a group of employees
engaged in law enforcement duties and any collective bargaining agreements. F.L.S.A.
does not require that the same work period be established for all employees. Neither
does the work period chosen necessarily need to coincide with the payroll period of the
agency. The work period concept allows the Police Department to schedule employees
to work a certain number of hours before overtime may be accrued.
IV. COMPUTING OVERTIME:
A. Personnel entitled to overtime compensation as previously outlined shall be paid
overtime for all hours worked in excess of their established work period.
Examples of the definition of hours that are not included in the computation of
“hours worked” include the following:
GENERAL ORDER
OVERTIME COMPENSATION POLICY
GO – 18 PAGE 2 OF 2
1. Absences from work including sick time, holidays, vacation, funerals, or
absences due to weather-related natural disasters such as hurricanes,
flooding, etc.;
2. Jury Duty;
3. Meal periods where the employee is free from duty and the meal period
lasts at least one-half hour;
4. On-call time;
5. Overnight trips during non-working hours where the employee is not
performing any work;
6. Work voluntarily substituting for another employee (time trades);
7. Special detail or off-duty employment performed solely at the option of
the employee is separate and independent of the Police Department
(with exceptions as noted in the General Order “Off-Duty Employment”).
B. It is the policy of the Longwood Police Department that overtime is permissible
only in cases of actual emergency or other such unusual circumstances requiring
the assignment of employees to extra hours of work as approved by the Division
Supervisor. Overtime is generally voluntary except in emergency situations, at
which time an employee can be required to work. Employees will be given as
much notice as practical before the overtime is to be required.