300-07 Overtime Compensation - Classified

Question 1

Kronos®.

Answer 1

The time and attendance system for the City of Houston

Question 2

Nonexempt.

Answer 2

Refers to an employee whose job classification is covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) as being eligible for overtime compensation. For the purposes of this General Order, this includes classified employees with a pay grade equivalent of sergeant or
below.

Question 3

Officer.

Answer 3

For the purposes of this General Order, the term officer applies to police officers, senior police officers, sergeants, or other classified employees with a pay grade equivalent of sergeant or below.

Question 4

Replacement Officer.

Answer 4

A qualified officer who voluntarily substitutes to work for another officer in the Strategic Officer Staffing Program (SOSP).

Question 5

SAP®.

Answer 5

Systems Applications and Products (SAP) is the financial, purchasing, fixed-asset, payroll, and human resources program used by the City of Houston.

Question 6

Time Actually Worked.

Answer 6

For purposes of calculating overtime, time actually worked includes
time the officer is actually on duty, including mealtime, on-duty training, and City business, as well as when the officer observes designated City Council declared holidays, or when the officer has taken paid leave (i.e., paid time off, death in the family, or other paid leave).

However, any leave taken by a replacement officer during a 14-day pay period will not count as time actually worked for purposes of calculating FLSA overtime in the Strategic Officer Staffing Program.

Any deferred holiday time accrued is not counted as time actually worked for the purposes of calculating overtime since the officer is not actually working on the holiday for which the deferred holiday time is accrued.

Question 7

CALCULATION OF OVERTIME

Overtime shall be earned by officers after they work more than the number of hours in their regularly scheduled workday, including all _____

Answer 7

time actually worked.

Question 8

CALCULATION OF OVERTIME

When calculating overtime compensation, _____shall be used for time entered into the Kronos® system by timekeepers.

If an officer works _____minutes or more of a quarter-hour time block, then the entire 15-minute block shall be approved for compensation.

When less than eight minutes in a time block are worked, credit for that time block shall _____

Answer 8

1) quarter-hour time blocks

2) eight

3) not be granted.

Question 9

CALCULATION OF OVERTIME

Except as otherwise noted in this General Order, all overtime earned shall be compensated at the rate of_____

Overtime pay shall be calculated at the officer’s rate of pay at the time the overtime_____

Officers shall have the option of overtime pay or compensatory time for overtime worked, unless the compensatory time bank limit would _____ (see section 4, Compensatory Time) or the below exception applies.

Exception:
An officer shall not have the above option if the officer is informed in advance that the overtime shall be compensated by “time only” or “pay only,” and the officer’s participation is ____.

Answer 9

1) time and a half.

2) was earned.

3) be exceeded

4) voluntary

Question 10

GENERAL RULES

Travel from _____ or the reverse is not hours worked for purposes of the FLSA. See section 3, Call-Ups and Special Assignments for an exception.

Officers shall not work overtime without prior authorization from the _____.

All overtime shall be justified as serving a specific _____

Answer 10

1) home to work

2) appropriate supervisor

3) department function or need.

Question 11

GENERAL RULES

Authorizing overtime for the specific purpose of allowing an officer to receive overtime compensation is _____.

Authorizing adjusted shifts resulting in overtime compensation is prohibited, unless it can be established that the adjustment is…

The authorizing supervisor must properly document the reason for the adjustment on all appropriate _____ (a.k.a. overtime request forms).

Answer 11

1) strictly prohibited

2) in the best interest of the department.

3) overtime compensation request forms

Question 12

GENERAL RULES

Officers who underreport or fail to report hours worked are subject to _____.

Supervisors who allow such action shall also be subject to _____

Unless otherwise allowed by law or the applicable Meet and Confer Agreement, the following applies:

a.
Officers may not waive their right to or refuse_____

b.
Supervisors shall not order or suggest to officers to waive their right to or refuse _______. See also section 14, Denial or Removal of Overtime Compensation.

Answer 12

1) disciplinary action

2) disciplinary action.

3) compensation for overtime worked.

4) compensation for overtime worked

Question 13

CALL-UPS AND SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS

Call-Ups

When off-duty officers are ordered by a supervisor to report immediately to a specific location for a department action other than court attendance, overtime compensation shall be authorized from the time the officer _____ and shall continue until the officer is_____

The travel time allowed for compensation must be _____in association and not have an appearance of impropriety.

Answer 13

1) receives the notification

2) released from the last location to which he was ordered to report.

3) realistic

Question 14

CALL-UPS AND SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS

Special Assignments

When a supervisor notifies an officer to report to a specific location and at a specific time to perform a needed police action (e.g., parades, demonstrations), overtime compensation shall be authorized from the _____ or the time the officer was _____.

Answer 14

1) officer’s arrival time

2) scheduled to report to the event location, whichever is later

Question 15

COMPENSATORY TIME

The total number of hours of compensatory time in an officer’s time bank shall not exceed ____hours.

Once the officer’s compensatory time accrual reaches the 480-hour limit, all additional overtime worked shall be _____.

Answer 15

1) 480

2) compensated with pay

Question 16

COMPENSATORY TIME

When officers’ compensatory time banks are maximized or may become maximized because of an overtime assignment, officers shall advise their supervisors of the fact whenever they…

Answer 16

request or are required to work overtime.

Question 17

COUNCIL-APPROVED HOLIDAYS

Only holidays designated by _____ are authorized holidays.

When an officer is off observing a holiday, the holiday shall have a value equal to the officer’s _____.

When a City of Houston holiday occurs on an officer’s regular day off, the officer shall be granted _____ equal to the officer’s regular workday.

Answer 17

1) City Council

2) workday

3) deferred holiday time

Question 18

COUNCIL-APPROVED HOLIDAYS

When a holiday occurs on an officer’s regular day off and the officer is required to work the holiday, the officer shall be entitled to both of the following:

a.
_____ time.

b.
Compensatory time or pay at the rate of time and a half for the number of hours _____.

Answer 18

1) Deferred holiday

2) actually worked

Question 19

COUNCIL-APPROVED HOLIDAYS

When a holiday occurs on an officer’s regular workday, the officer shall be compensated for the holiday and for all hours _____ on that day. Hours actually worked shall be compensated at the rate of _____.

Answer 19

1) actually worked

2) time and a half.

Question 20

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME

At the beginning of Daylight Saving Time, which occurs each year on the second Sunday in March at 0200 hours, clocks are adjusted forward one hour.

Nonexempt officers whose scheduled shift is shortened by one hour due to the change in time shall have the option of either one of the following:

a.
Burning ____ of accumulated leave.

b.
Working one hour…

Answer 20

1) one hour

2) directly before or directly after their regularly scheduled shift.

Question 21

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME

Division commanders shall ensure officers’ time is accounted for accordingly. Division commanders shall also ensure a coordination of efforts between shifts when officers elect to work…

Answer 21

one hour directly before or after their regularly scheduled shift.

Question 22

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME

At the end of Daylight Saving Time, which occurs each year on the first Sunday in November at 0200 hours, clocks are adjusted backward one hour.

Prior to the first Sunday in November of each year, division commanders shall determine appropriate staffing levels necessary to _____ for the extended shift when the end of Daylight Saving Time occurs.

Division commanders shall generate a _____ and ask for volunteers to work the additional hour on such date for overtime.

If vacancies exist after everyone has been offered the opportunity to volunteer, the division shall utilize a _____ to fill any vacancies remaining.

_______shall be used in conjunction with each officer’s preference to determine which officers will be permitted to go off duty after having worked the number of hours in their normal shift and which officers will be required to work the extra hour in the extended shift.

Overtime shall be paid in accordance with section 1, Calculation of Overtime.

Answer 22

1) provide adequate police services

2) sign-up list

3) seniority list

4) Seniority

Question 23

EARN AND BURN

The department prohibits the practice known as “Earn and Burn” in which an officer burns some personal leave time in order to work in the…

Answer 23

Strategic Officer Staffing Program (SOSP) or an overtime program and earn overtime.

Question 24

EARN AND BURN

Officers shall not use or be allowed to use (burn) any type of leave (straight time) and earn SOSP compensation or overtime compensation during_____.

Answer 24

the same shift

Question 25

EARN AND BURN

Furthermore, if an officer burns unscheduled leave for a regularly scheduled shift in the _____ period before or after working SOSP or any overtime program, an Earn and Burn violation has occurred unless one of the exceptions noted below applies.

Answer 25

24-hour

Question 26

EARN AND BURN

Additionally, if there is a pattern of an officer burning scheduled or unscheduled leave for a regularly scheduled shift in the 24-hour period before or after working SOSP or any overtime program, then a violation has occurred unless one of the exceptions noted below applies.

The following are exceptions and will not constitute violations of the Earn and Burn policy.

a.
_____, _____, or _____.

Shift commanders have the authority to give approval for officers to work SOSP or an overtime program due to manpower shortages, emergency call-ups, or special assignments even though the officer
has burned unscheduled leave. The shift commander’s approval must be documented on the _____.

Answer 26

1) Manpower shortages, Emergency Call-Ups, or Special Assignments

2) overtime request form

Question 27

EARN AND BURN

Additionally, if there is a pattern of an officer burning scheduled or unscheduled leave for a regularly scheduled shift in the 24-hour period before or after working SOSP or any overtime program, then a violation has occurred unless one of the exceptions noted below applies

b.
Exceptional Circumstances. If an officer burns unscheduled leave due to unforeseen, exceptional circumstances (e.g., family emergency) in the 24-hour period before or after working SOSP or an overtime program and it is deemed appropriate by the below designated supervisor, the following shall apply:

1. When the officer burns up to and including half of the officer’s regularly scheduled shift (e.g., 4 hours of an 8 hour shift), a _____ may approve the officer to work SOSP or an overtime program. The supervisor may also determine a violation has not occurred if the time burned occurs after working SOSP or an overtime program. The supervisor’s approval must be documented on the _____.
2. When an officer burns more than half of the officer’s regularly scheduled shift due to exceptional circumstances, the _____ may approve the officer to work SOSP or an overtime program. The shift commander may also determine a violation has not occurred if the time burned occurs after working SOSP or an overtime program. The shift commander’s approval must be documented on the overtime request form.

Answer 27

1) supervisor

2) overtime request form

3) shift commander

Question 28

EARN AND BURN

If an Earn and Burn violation occurs, the officer may be prohibited from working _____ in the future and may be investigated in accordance with the department’s disciplinary system.

The _____ shall make the final determination of whether an officer is prohibited from working SOSP or an overtime program.

Additionally, _____ have the final decision on questions regarding the Earn and Burn policy.

Answer 28

1) SOSP or any overtime program

2) division commander

3) division commanders

Question 29

FLOATING HOLIDAYS

The hour value of a floating holiday shall be equal to an officer’s…

Floating holidays cannot be submitted for ____.

Floating holidays must be used as _____.

If an officer is required to work or attend court during his regular shift on a day previously approved as a floating holiday, the entire holiday will…

Answer 29

1) normal workday, and shall be of non-accruable time.

2) pay

3) whole workdays

4) remain unused and must be rescheduled.

Question 30

ON-DUTY TRAINING

Officers shall adjust their shift to attend on-duty training when such training falls outside their regularly scheduled shift. If the on-duty training falls on the officer’s regular day off, the supervisor shall _____

Officers attending on-duty training are eligible for overtime compensation if the training causes an officer to…

Officers shall have their arrival and departure times certified by a member of the Academy staff. Except as provided above, overtime may be authorized only to avoid…

Answer 30

1) adjust the officer’s days off.

2) exceed the number of hours in the officer’s regular workday.

3) a negative impact on division operations

Question 31

STRATEGIC OFFICER STAFFING PROGRAM

Officers approved to work the Strategic Officer Staffing Program (SOSP) for straight time pay (base, longevity, and training only) cannot work more than ____ hours for straight time in a 14-day pay period.

Any leave taken by a _____ during the 14-day pay period shall not count as time actually worked for purposes of calculating FLSA overtime in the SOSP.

Furthermore, _____ are not counted in the 86-hour calculation.

Only hours worked for straight time pay shall be used in calculating the 86 hours.

Additionally, officers shall not establish a _____ to reflect an apparent change in their regular shift or regular days off.

Answer 31

1) 86

2) replacement officer

3) court overtime and any other time and a half compensation

4) pattern of manipulating SOSP

Question 32

STRATEGIC OFFICER STAFFING PROGRAM

The below examples provide clarification regarding the SOSP 86-hour straight time limit.

Example 1:

During a 14-day pay period, officer A worked one extra shift as a replacement officer for Officer B, who has a scheduled shift of 8 hours. Officer A’s straight time worked in the 14-day pay period was 80 hours for his own regularly scheduled shifts. Since he worked 8 additional hours as a replacement officer, Officer A may receive only 6 hours of additional straight time pay to remain within the 86-hour limit. Officer A will receive compensatory time for…

Answer 32

the remaining two hours worked as a replacement officer.

Question 33

STRATEGIC OFFICER STAFFING PROGRAM

The below examples provide clarification regarding the SOSP 86-hour straight time limit.

Example 2:

Officer A worked 8 hours as a replacement officer for Officer B. During the 14-day pay period, Officer A burned 2 hours of leave time; thus, his straight time worked for his own regularly scheduled shifts equaled 78 hours. Because Officer A burned 2 hours in the same 14-day pay period in which he worked SOSP, the time burned does not count towards time actually worked for purposes of calculating FLSA overtime. Therefore, Officer A may receive _____ pay for the hours worked as a replacement officer and still be within the 86-hour limit.

Answer 33

8 hours of additional straight time

Question 34

STRATEGIC OFFICER STAFFING PROGRAM

The below examples provide clarification regarding the SOSP 86-hour straight time limit.

Example 3:

Officer A worked 8 hours as a replacement officer for Officer B. During the 14-day pay period, Officer A received 4 hours of court overtime and worked another overtime program for which he received 4 hours of overtime compensation at the rate of time and a half. Officer A also burned 4 hours of paid leave during the 14-day pay period. The overtime compensation hours are not used in calculating the 86 hours. Because he burned 4 hours, Officer A has worked 76 hours of straight time for his own regularly scheduled shifts during the 14-day pay period. Thus, Officer A may receive additional straight time pay for the 8 hours worked during the SOSP. After having worked the 8 hours of SOSP, the total straight time worked by Officer A is_____

Answer 34

84 hours.

Question 35

TRAVEL TIME GAP

Except as noted below, there must be a non-compensated travel time gap between an officer’s end of shift and the beginning time of an _____.

The travel time gap must be realistic in association and not have an appearance of impropriety. Calculation of travel time gap shall consider the _____

If travel is required, the minimum travel time gap shall be no less than _____.

When officers are traveling to an overtime assignment in a privately owned vehicle, the requirement of a travel time gap applies. There is no travel time gap requirement when officers are…

Answer 35

1) overtime assignment and vice versa

2) time of day, traffic, weather, and distance traveled.

3) 15 minutes

4) traveling to an overtime assignment using a City owned or controlled vehicle or when no travel is required.

Question 36

NONEXEMPT EMPLOYEE OVERTIME COMPENSATION REQUEST FORM

Documentation on the Overtime Request Form

Officers requesting overtime compensation shall use the appropriate form (e.g., _______ located on the department’s Intranet Portal, Court Overtime Request form available at the courthouse).

Officers requesting overtime compensation shall list in the Details section…

Answer 36

1) Nonexempt Employee Overtime Compensation Request form

2) the reasons for the overtime, any reference numbers, and who authorized the overtime.

Question 37

NONEXEMPT EMPLOYEE OVERTIME COMPENSATION REQUEST FORM

When subpoenaed to Municipal Court or the Harris County Courthouse complex, officers who request overtime compensation and are unable to arrive at the court liaison office within ___minutes after being dismissed from the courtroom shall document in the Details section…

If officers need extra room to make comments, they shall use the…

Officers shall note on the first page if the comments continue on the back or separate paper.

If an employee other than the officer submitting or supervisor approving the overtime request form adds a comment in the Details section, that employee shall…

Answer 37

1) 15

2) sufficient details explaining why the officer was unable to arrive within 15 minutes.

3) back of the form (if it is blank) or a separate piece of paper.

4) include his name and employee number.

Question 38

NONEXEMPT EMPLOYEE OVERTIME COMPENSATION REQUEST FORM

Submission of the Overtime Request Form

Officers requesting overtime compensation in the form of either pay or compensatory time shall submit the appropriate overtime request form to_____

However, if an officer’s immediate supervisor is on approved leave, the overtime request form shall be submitted to…

Answer 38

1) their immediate supervisor.

2) another supervisor in the officer’s assigned division for approval.

Question 39

NONEXEMPT EMPLOYEE OVERTIME COMPENSATION REQUEST FORM

Submission of the Overtime Request Form

If the overtime was worked outside the officer’s assigned division, the officer shall submit the overtime request form to…

Officers shall submit the overtime request form as set forth above within _____ days following the hours worked.

Answer 39

1) the appropriate supervisor in the division for which the overtime was worked.

2) five calendar

Question 40

NONEXEMPT EMPLOYEE OVERTIME COMPENSATION REQUEST FORM

Submission of the Overtime Request Form

Once an officer submits an overtime request form to a supervisor, it becomes the responsibility of the receiving supervisor to ensure the timekeeper is provided any approved overtime request form within _____ days after the date it was submitted to the first approving supervisor.

All approved overtime request forms shall be submitted to the…

Answer 40

1) five calendar

2) division’s timekeeper where the overtime was performed.

Question 41

NONEXEMPT EMPLOYEE OVERTIME COMPENSATION REQUEST FORM

Records Retention

All original approved overtime request forms shall be retained by the _____ and a copy shall be forwarded to the officers’ regular assigned division for placement in their division files in accordance with General Order 800-12, Records Retention.

Answer 41

compensating division

Question 42

SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Supervisors shall not delegate their authority to approve overtime compensation requests to _____.

_____signatures for approval are prohibited.

Supervisors shall ensure travel time gaps and requests for overtime and travel compensation are…

Supervisors shall ensure that times on an overtime request form do not _______. Supervisors must pay special attention when officers adjust their shift or take off partial days.

Answer 42

1) nonsupervisory personnel

2) Stamped

3) reasonable, proper, and in accordance with the rules for overtime compensation as outlined in this and other applicable General Orders and directives.

4) overlap with the officer’s regular shift

Question 43

SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITIES

An overtime compensation request shall not be approved if it contains_____.

The overtime compensation request shall be returned to the officer for…

Except for obvious inaccuracies noted above, supervisors shall refer to section 14, Denial or Removal of Overtime Compensation, if the overtime compensation request does not comply with this General Order.

Answer 43

1) obvious inaccuracies

2) correction or explanation to the satisfaction of the supervisor.

Question 44

SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Other than _______, supervisors shall not make changes on a submitted overtime request form.

Corrections shall be made by the_____.

Requests for overtime compensation require approval by _____ in the officer’s chain of command for which the overtime was worked (see section 12, Overtime Compensation Request Form).

Supervisors shall not staff weekend duty assignments with officers on overtime except when _____. These staffing situations shall be documented and authorized by the appropriate commander.

Answer 44

1) filling in the department activity code (DAC), if still blank, and adding comments in the Details section

2) submitting officer

3) two different supervisors of ascending rank

4) minimum staffing requirements cannot be met or for emergencies or special situations

Question 45

DENIAL OR REMOVAL OF OVERTIME COMPENSATION

Unless there is an obvious inaccuracy on an overtime request form for which an explanation or correction is needed as set forth above in section 13, Supervisor Responsibilities, officers who have worked overtime cannot…

It is the department’s stance to compensate questionable overtime and then…

If the overtime worked is questionable, supervisors shall…

Answer 45

1) be denied compensation.

2) an inquiry shall be conducted

3) approve it, note their concerns in the Details section of the overtime request form along with the supervisor’s name and employee number, submit it, and then conduct an inquiry.

Question 46

DENIAL OR REMOVAL OF OVERTIME COMPENSATION

If an inquiry concludes the officer should not have received overtime compensation, the timekeeper shall…

Furthermore, supervisors discovering an overtime violation shall adhere to the requirements of reporting employee misconduct set out in General Order 200-03, Investigation of Employee Misconduct.

Answer 46

arrange to have the overtime amount removed from the officer’s pay or banked time.

Question 47

DENIAL OR REMOVAL OF OVERTIME COMPENSATION

When a determination is made that an officer should not receive overtime compensation, a ____ shall be provided to the officer

The original overtime request form and a copy of the written explanation shall be forwarded to the…

The original documentation shall be filed in the officer’s ____ according to General Order 800-12, Records Retention.

Officers who wish to appeal overtime compensation denial or removal shall follow the departmental grievance process detailed in General Order 300-12, Grievance Procedure.

Answer 47

1) copy of the overtime request form and a written explanation

2) concerned division commander immediately.

3) divisional overtime file

Question 48

TIMEKEEPER RESPONSIBILITIES

Commanders shall ensure the number of overtime hours worked or taken by officers under their command are posted in the Kronos system to the…

Timekeepers shall enter only _____ into an officer’s overtime records.

Posting overtime worked or taken shall be done on a _____basis within system constraints except for weekends and holidays or as approved by the commander.

Even if the commander approves an alternative timeframe for posting such time, timekeepers shall enter and/or verify in the Kronos system all approved overtime worked or taken before the end of _____. Kronos updates the SAP® system on a biweekly basis.

Answer 48

1) individual officers’ computerized overtime records by the timekeeper.

2) approved requests for overtime compensation

3) daily

4) each pay period

Question 49

TIMEKEEPER RESPONSIBILITIES

To process officers’ overtime request forms, the timekeeper shall enter the following information into the Kronos system under the appropriate officer’s name and employee number:…

Following entry, the timekeeper shall _____ form indicating the DAC and other information on the form were entered into the Kronos system. Stamped signatures attesting to entries are prohibited.

Answer 49

1) date overtime was worked, appropriate A/A field code, department activity code (DAC), beginning and ending times of the overtime worked, and other appropriate information.

2) date and sign each overtime request

Question 50

TIMEKEEPER RESPONSIBILITIES

Upon completion of entering all exceptions and overtime request forms, the timekeeper shall do all of the following:

a.
Generate in Kronos and print a batch time entry report for _____.

b.
Reconcile the printed batch report with the _____.

c.
_____ the reconciled batch report certifying the accuracy of the entries. Stamped signatures certifying the accuracy of entries are prohibited.

d.
_____signed batch reports in the division in accordance with General Order 800-12, Records Retention.

e.
File the original overtime compensation request forms in the applicable officer’s _____ and retain in accordance with General Order 800-12, Records Retention.

Answer 50

a.
Generate in Kronos and print a batch time entry report for each batch submitted.

b.
Reconcile the printed batch report with the overtime compensation and leave requests.

c.
Sign and date the reconciled batch report certifying the accuracy of the entries. Stamped signatures certifying the accuracy of entries are prohibited.

d.
Retain signed batch reports in the division in accordance with General Order 800-12, Records Retention.

e.
File the original overtime compensation request forms in the applicable officer’s divisional overtime file and retain in accordance with General Order 800-12, Records Retention.

Question 51

TIMEKEEPER RESPONSIBILITIES

Timekeepers may make any needed and approved modifications of overtime compensation information after…

However, if any needed and approved adjustments cannot be completed by the timekeeper, the timekeeper shall send a written request to the ______so the adjustments can be made.

Overtime earned by a timekeeper shall be posted by the _____

If no back-up is available, timekeepers shall submit their approved overtime request forms to _____ for entry into Kronos.

Answer 51

1) it has been entered into Kronos.

2) City of Houston’s Payroll Services Division in the Administration and Regulatory Affairs Department

3) back-up timekeeper.

4) Payroll Services

Question 52

EXEMPT CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES

Exempt officers holding the rank of lieutenant or captain or classified pay grade VII or IX shall refer to General Order 300-36, Exempt Time Compensation and Exempt Time Credit, for directives regarding overtime compensation.

When sergeants are assigned as acting lieutenants and are required to work overtime, they may elect to…

Answer 52

receive time and a half pay at the sergeant’s pay scale or accrue overtime hours at the rate of time and a half.