Wildland fire update

The Meet and Confer team continued to work with HR and management on issues around wildland fire.

MAPE members shared experiences with us regarding inconsistencies in overtime calculations and payroll adjustments in both exempt and non-exempt FLSA status for time worked on wildland fire. Additionally, exempt MAPE members across the Department were informed through payroll adjustments that they were not allowed to shift to non-exempt status after working wildland fire or all-hazard incidents, despite being allowed to shift status during similar situations in the past.

The team submitted documentation and examples from employees and discussed the issues with HR and the Division of Forestry Fire Section at a wildland fire-specific meeting. Requests to leadership include:
 

• Clear, written language regarding overtime calculation in exempt and non-exempt FLSA status that HR, payroll staff, supervisors, and employees can all reference for compensation and payroll purposes.
• Written communication to all DNR staff clarifying how and in what circumstances FLSA status for exempt employees could shift to non-exempt for wildland fire or all-hazard incidents.