The following letter summarizes the parties’ understanding regarding K-9 Unit Compensation.
Employees who are assigned to the K-9 Unit are entitled to compensation for the off-duty hours spent caring, grooming, feeding and one-on-one non-formal training of their canine and maintaining their canine vehicle/unit. To receive such compensation, deputy sheriffs assigned to the K-9 Unit must have responsibility for caring, grooming, feeding and training of a canine. The parties acknowledge that the Fair Labor Standards Act, which governs the entitlement to compensation for canine duties, entitles the parties to agree to a reasonable number of hours per month for the performance of off-duty canine duties. The hours in this agreement were determined after an actual inquiry by the deputy sheriffs and the Deputy Sheriff’s Association. The Fair Labor Standards Act also allows the parties to agree on appropriate compensation for the performance of canine duties. It is the intent of the parties through the provisions of this article to fully comply with the requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. In addition, both parties believe that the following agreement does comply with the requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Employees assigned to the K-9 Unit shall be paid an additional 5.74% of salary per month which is compensation for 15.21 hours per month (3.5 hours per calendar week) for off-duty K-9 Unit duties. (It is the intent of the parties that the regular rate of pay for these off-duty canine duties, determined for each canine deputy sheriff by dividing the K-9 pay of 5.74% of salary in a pay period by 7 hours of off-duty canine activities per pay period and then dividing that amount by 1.5, will meet or exceed County, State and Federal minimum wage). This compensation compensates the K-9 Unit for the reasonable number of hours (determined after an actual inquiry of the K-9 Unit) per month which the canine deputy sheriff spends feeding, grooming and caring for the dog which has been assigned to the deputy sheriff as well as training the dog and maintaining the canine vehicle/unit off duty. The parties agree that the foregoing compensation is intended to compensate the canine deputy sheriff for off-duty canine activities on an overtime basis at one and one half times the deputy sheriff’s regular canine rate for canine duties. It is expected that K-9 Unit will not work more than 15.21 hours per month performing off duty canine duties as described herein.
Employees assigned to the K-9 Unit who must take their canine to the veterinarian in an emergency shall submit a written request to the Sheriff or the Sheriff’s assigned designee for additional compensation for the hours spent performing such work. Emergencies such as emergency veterinarian visits do not require advance approval because such work time is beyond the deputy sheriff’s control. In addition, if a canine deputy sheriff will be required to perform duties (in rare occurrences) which causes a substantial increase in the normal off-duty hours worked for that month, he/she may request, in advance of the work, that additional compensation be provided. Such additional compensation must be approved in advance before any such work is performed unless the additional work is an emergency beyond the deputy sheriff’s control. Any additional compensation for emergency veterinarian visits or other duties which result in a substantial increase in the normal off-duty hours worked for that month shall be at compensated at time and one half the employee’s Deputy Sheriff (non-K9) regular rate of pay. Call-Back Pay in accordance with Section 11 of the MOU between the parties shall apply to emergency veterinarian visits that occur. Routine veterinary visits by employees must occur on duty or on flex time with advance supervisory approval.
Effective July 1, 2016, employees who are assigned to the K-9 Unit shall receive one hundred and fifty dollars ($150) each month for the purchase of dog food, bedding and other dog supplies. Each month the Lieutenant in charge of the K-9 unit shall submit a memo to the fiscal department listing the active employees in the unit, who will in turn issue payment to each K-9 unit employee. Each July for the duration of the current MOU the amount for K-9 food and supplies will be increased by five dollars ($5).
Employees assigned to the K-9 Unit who receive advance approval for boarding of their dog shall be reimbursed for boarding expenses for the approved vendor and approved time of boarding.
