Working beyond the regular 40-hour week can be an eventuality for many emergency service providers. The unpredictable nature of the occupations involved can mean spending extra time on duty or at the site of a crisis without much forewarning or planning.

The Merced Sun-Star points out that overtime spending for fire personnel in Sacramento, Calif. is a major debt obligation for the city's government despite years of efforts by auditors to bring down the overall cost. The additional time and attendance obligations incurred by firefighter overtime cost the city a full $7 million in 2012.

Overtime distribution is another issue for the city, as some employees were recorded working approximately 80 hours per week during 2012, drastically increasing their pay and therefore the financial obligations for the municipality.

Firefighters and other emergency personnel have some special regulations in the Fair Labor Standards Act that make paying for their sometimes-unpredictable work schedules easier for town and city governments, like the ability to replace overtime pay with compensatory hours and variable work periods.

When unavoidable overtime creates a large financial burden, companies should consider using time and attendance software to manage hours worked and bring those obligations to the lowest possible level.

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