Jim Wells County adopts FLSA 7(k) pay-schedule policy for detention officers; personnel manual updated
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Summary
The Commissioners Court voted to adopt a policy clarifying FLSA 29 U.S.C. 207(k) partial overtime-exemption pay for jailers and detention officers, allowing departments to provide overtime either monetarily or as compensatory time; the court also approved a corresponding personnel-manual amendment.
Sheriff Guy Baker asked the court to adopt a policy implementing FLSA 29 U.S.C. 207(k) for detention officers that clarifies overtime can be paid as wages or accrued as compensatory time at department-head discretion. Baker told commissioners that because of minimum staffing requirements and periodic transport duties, comp time is sometimes the only practical option to remain within budget and staffing constraints.
Commissioners and the auditor discussed monitoring comp-time accruals and a countywide 25-hour comp-time threshold. The sheriff said departments typically aim to pay overtime monetarily when budget permits but will authorize comp time "on a case-by-case basis." The court voted to adopt the pay-schedule policy and then voted to amend the Jim Wells County personnel manual to add an addendum reflecting the change.
The adoption is administrative: it clarifies how overtime may be distributed for law-enforcement staff under the 7(k) exemption and directs department heads and the auditor to monitor comp-time accruals and payouts.
Next steps: The personnel manual will be updated with the addendum, and the auditor and department heads will monitor comp-time accruals to limit long-term liabilities.