The Monthly Pay Period Is Making Life Harder Than It Needs To Be
If you’re running a police or fire department, you probably inherited a system that’s been in place since the 1970s. I see it all the time on software setup calls, agencies using a monthly pay period because “that’s just how the county has always done it.”
The monthly pay cycle is a relic and should be switched to a 14-day pay period. If you are a Chief or a City Administrator and you actually have the opportunity to make a decision on policy, I’m going to suggest the ideal setup. It’s what I call the 14-14-14 Rule.
Monthly Pay Periods are a Mess
A lot of counties and sheriff’s departments still use the 1st and the 16th as their markers. The primary issue is that the month is a moving measuring stick. January has 31 days. February has 28. If your pay period is based on the month, your paychecks are constantly variable because the number of days isn’t fixed. Most places average out a salary to keep the base pay the same, but when you start layering FLSA overtime on top of that, it gets unnecessarily complicated
Under the FLSA, police have a 171-hour limit over 28 days, and fire has 212. You can divide that down into any denomination (7 days, 14 days, etc.) But if your overtime work period and your pay period never line up, you’re constantly chasing the math.
14-14-14 Rule
The goal should be to make the math work so clearly that there’s no confusion for the employees or the payroll office. To do that, you want three things to line up perfectly:
- 14-Day Schedule Pattern: Whether you’re running 12-hour days or a modified Pitman, keep the rotation on a two-week cycle.
- 14-Day Pay Period: Your employees get paid every two weeks.
- 14-Day Work Period (FLSA): This fits within the exemptions listed on the official Fact Sheet Number 8 from the Department of Labor (Section 7(k)). Makes compliance a breeze.
I call this the 14-14-14 Rule.
When you move to a 14-day cycle across the board:
- Your 14-day schedule pattern equates exactly to your 14-day pay period, which equates exactly to your FLSA work period (85.5 hours for police, 106 for fire).
- Everything is clean. There’s no “well, this week fell into last month’s cycle, but this work period hasn’t ended yet.”
- The employee knows exactly what to expect on every check.
It just makes sense.
Can Hero Schedule Handle the Complexity?
If your municipality is happy with a monthly system, Hero Schedule can handle it. We haven’t run into a situation yet where we couldn’t match the pay periods and work periods to make the math work. We can mix and match whatever cycle you’re on.
But if you want to set a policy that actually makes sense for a modern department, simplify your life by moving to 14-day pay periods. It’s the easiest way to track overtime, it reduces administrative headaches, and it keeps your department running without the complex math problems.
If you want help with your scheduling, reach out to us directly or get started on a free Hero Schedule trial.
Eric is the co-founder and Sales Director of Hero Schedule, managing sales, customer support, and relationship development with first responder agencies all over the United States.
Eric is the co-founder and Sales Director of Hero Schedule, managing sales, customer support, and relationship development with first responder agencies all over the United States.