Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Handbook Law Enforcement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Oklahoma County board directs handbook language tied to federal FLSA rules for law enforcement scheduling
Summary
The board voted to replace explicit '28‑day' scheduling language in the county employee handbook with a citation to the federal FLSA/CFR (section 7(k)) so local law‑enforcement scheduling remains aligned with federal rules; staff will add the citation and hyperlink and update current and working drafts.
Oklahoma County commissioners voted to change handbook language that explicitly referenced a 28‑day work period for law enforcement, directing staff to replace the fixed number with a reference to the applicable federal regulation.
The revision follows a presentation from a sheriff’s office representative who described operational problems created by a fixed 28‑day cycle. The presenter said the county currently relies on the FLSA "7(k) exemption" for law enforcement and that allowable work periods can range from seven to 28 consecutive days. The board agreed to reference the regulation rather than hard‑coding a day count so the handbook will remain consistent if federal guidance changes.
Why it matters: the 7(k) exemption governs when exempt law‑enforcement employees may be paid via a work‑period method rather than weekly overtime, and small changes in handbook language can affect when overtime is triggered and how comp time is calculated for deputies and other sworn staff.
What the board did: after discussion, a motion to adopt revised text — replacing any direct reference to a "28‑day cycle" in law‑enforcement sections with a citation to "29 CFR 553.230 subsection 7(k)" (as discussed in the meeting) and to insert a hyperlink to the regulation — was moved, seconded, and approved by voice vote. Commissioners said the revised wording should appear both in the current handbook and the official working draft.
Key context and quotes: Cassie, a staff member who prepared the draft, described the working draft as "the most updated" version based on minutes and confirmed changes, and Speaker 2 (law‑enforcement representative) summarized the operational issue: "For law enforcement... we deal with, like, a 40 hour work week... this gives you kind of a whole list of options anywhere from 7 to 28 days." Commissioners asked staff to cite the precise CFR so the handbook text would automatically reflect future regulatory changes.
Next steps: Staff will add the CFR citation and hyperlink to the handbook text, update the working draft, and present the revised language for inclusion in the finalized handbook materials.
