Lawsuit Claims Faulkner County (AR) Failed to Pay Deputy Sheriffs for Off-the-Clock Work

New to ClassAction.org? Read our Newswire Disclaimer

A former Faulkner County, Arkansas deputy sheriff alleges the county has failed to pay him and other deputies for off-the-clock work.

According to a proposed collective action, Faulkner County frequently required hourly paid deputy sheriffs to perform work outside of their scheduled hours yet failed to pay wages in accordance with federal law.

“At all relevant times herein, Defendant has deprived Plaintiff and other Deputy Sheriffs of regular wages and overtime compensation for all hours worked,” the complaint alleges. 

While working for the county as a deputy sheriff from October 2016 until December 2020, the plaintiff performed a significant amount of off-the-clock work, the suit says. More specifically, the plaintiff claims he and other deputy sheriffs were required to attend meetings outside of their scheduled shift times for which they received no pay.

Further, deputy sheriffs often spent time donning bullet-resistant vests and duty belts containing department-issued equipment prior to each shift and completing paperwork after their scheduled shifts were over, the lawsuit attests. According to the case, the workers were not paid for these mandatory pre- and post-shift duties.

Because the deputies’ off-the-clock work caused their weekly hours to exceed 40, the defendant owes the workers unpaid time-and-a-half overtime pay, the suit contends.

The lawsuit alleges Faulkner County “knew or showed reckless disregard” for whether its pay practices violated the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Get class action lawsuit news sent to your inbox – sign up for ClassAction.org’s newsletter here.