Overtime.
St. Louis Revised Code § 4.10.150
in effect4.10.150 - Overtime.
(a) The Department of Personnel shall determine those positions in the Classified Service of the City of St. Louis which are exempt from overtime compensation and those positions which are not exempt from overtime compensation. The overtime codes established for each class in Section 4.10.010(a) of this chapter shall be interpreted as follows:
OVERTIME CODE (OVTM):
1. These classes are primarily managerial in nature, but may also include some professional or administrative classes that are ineligible for overtime pay under all but emergency conditions as described in Section 15(d) of this chapter.
2. These are supervisory, professional, and administrative classes that are exempt from overtime compensation, but which the City compensates for overtime at the straight (1.0×) time rate.
3. These are non-exempt classes that receive overtime compensation at the one and one-half (1.5×) time rate.
4. These non-exempt classes work an average bi-weekly work schedule of eighty-four (84) hours and, therefore, receive overtime compensation at the one and one-half (1.5×) time rate.
Appointing authorities are prohibited from changing employee work schedules to avoid the payment of overtime.
For purposes of determining overtime pay rates for non-exempt employees, the regular hourly rate of pay shall be used.
Any employee in a class which has been allocated to Overtime Code 4 (non-exempt) in Section 4.10.010(a) of this chapter shall be compensated for overtime by granting the employee pay or compensatory time off at the one and one-half (1.5×) time rate. Each appointing authority shall designate and submit to the Director of Personnel the official work week or work cycle for all non-exempt (Code 4) positions in the work unit. Whenever a non-exempt (Code 4) employee works in excess of forty (40) hours in a work week, the employee will be paid at the one and one-half time (1.5×) rate. The average number of scheduled hours in a bi-weekly pay period shall not be less than eighty-four (84) for full-time employment. The regular hourly rate of pay for a non-exempt (Code 4) bi-weekly paid employee shall be determined by dividing the employee's regular bi-weekly rate of pay by the average number of regularly scheduled hours of work in a bi-weekly pay period. In addition to the actual hours worked, only paid vacation, compensatory time, jury leave, and holidays shall count as hours worked for the purpose of determining eligibility for overtime compensation.
Any employee in a class which has been allocated to Overtime Code 3 (non-exempt) in this chapter shall be compensated for overtime work in accordance with the provisions of this section. Each appointing authority shall designate and submit to the Director of Personnel the official work week and schedule or work cycle for all non-exempt positions in the work unit. The average number of scheduled hours in a bi-weekly pay period shall not be less than eighty (80) for full-time employment.
Whenever an Overtime Code 3 employee whose pay matrix is in Section 4.10.020(a) or Section 4.10.020(b), works hours in excess of the maximum established for an official work week or work cycle, usually forty (40) hours in a work week such hours shall be paid at the one and-one-half time (1.5×) rate. In addition to the actual hours worked, only paid vacation, compensatory time, jury leave, and holidays shall count as hours worked for the purpose of determining eligibility for overtime compensation.
Overtime Code 3 employees whose pay matrix is in Section 4.10.020(c) of this chapter who are working a nineteen-day work cycle are eligible to receive overtime after one hundred forty-four (144) hours are worked in a work cycle, except that the Fire Division shall pay overtime for emergency work at the end of a shift or emergency work required on a separate, non-scheduled day, even if the total number of hours worked in the work cycle is not in excess of one hundred forty-four (144) hours. These employees shall not receive additional compensation for regularly scheduled hours in excess of one hundred forty-four (144) hours if they do not actually work more than one hundred forty-four (144) hours in the work cycle; provided however, that in addition to the actual hours worked, jury leave, vacation leave, compensatory time and "O" days shall count as hours worked for the purpose of determining eligibility for overtime compensation. Days scheduled off to reduce average work week to fifty-two (52) hours, compensatory time, vacation, "O" days, and holiday time shall be scheduled consistent with a reasonable vacation and holiday leave policy to avoid the necessity of actually working more than one hundred forty-four (144) hours during any work cycle.
Police officer trainees, police probationary officers and police officers shall be paid overtime, defined as one and one-half time (1.5×) the employee's regular standard rate of pay, for all hours worked in excess of their eight-hour work day or any hours worked on a scheduled day off. Only hours actually worked shall count toward overtime pay.
Police Sergeants, whose salary is established in Section 4.10.020(d) of this chapter, shall be paid overtime, as defined as one and one-half time (1.5×) the employee's regular standard rate of pay, for all hours actually worked in excess of one hundred sixty (160) hours in a twenty-eight-day work period. In addition to hours physically worked, paid vacation, compensatory time, holidays, discretionary holidays, and sick-injured time shall count toward the one hundred sixty-hour threshold during the twenty-eight-day period that must be met to earn overtime. These employees shall receive additional compensation for authorized overtime, court time, and court standby time whenever the total accumulated time exceeds forty (40) hours.
(b) Any employee in a class which has been allocated to Overtime Code 2 in Section 4.10.010(a) of this chapter shall be compensated for overtime by granting the employee pay or compensatory time off at the straight (1.0×) time rate. Each appointing authority shall designate and submit to the Director of Personnel the official work week or work cycle, which is usually forty (40) hours, for all exempt (Code 2) positions in the work unit. Whenever a full-time employee in an exempt (Code 2) position is directed by management, with the approval of the appointing authority, to work hours in excess of the maximum established for an official work week or work cycle it shall be considered overtime. In addition to the actual hours worked, only paid vacation time, compensatory time, jury leave, and holidays shall count as hours worked for the purpose of determining eligibility for overtime compensation.
Straight time (1.0×) overtime shall be compensated at the employee's regular hourly rate of pay, or by granting the eligible employee compensatory time off at the rate of one (1) hour for each hour of overtime worked. The average number of scheduled hours in a bi-weekly pay period shall not be less than eighty (80) for full-time employment. The regular hourly rate of pay for an exempt (Code 2) bi-weekly paid employee shall be determined by dividing the employee's regular bi-weekly rate of pay by the average number of regularly scheduled hours of work in a bi-weekly pay period.
(c) Part-time bi-weekly paid employees and employees paid on an hourly or per performance basis shall be compensated for overtime work in accordance with the overtime provisions of this section and with consideration for community practices in compensating similar employment.
(d) An appointing authority may compensate Overtime Code 1 employees at the straight-time (1.0×) rate, when both of the following conditions exist: 1) the Mayor of the City of St. Louis declares an emergency due to serious and protracted conditions which threaten continuous City Service, preservation of public peace, health, or safety, and 2) the appointing authority directs an employee or group of employees to work in excess of forty (40) hours per week. The appointing authority shall maintain attendance records of the assignment(s) and submit such records at the request of the Director of Personnel.
(e) Employees who wish to use compensatory time earned in lieu of pay must make their request in writing at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance of the day or days requested. The appointing authority shall keep in mind the staffing needs of the department when granting time off, but in any case time off will not be unreasonably denied.
Pay shall be the regular method of compensation for recorded overtime hours of work for employees in classes with Overtime Code 3 and Overtime Code 4. However, an appointing authority shall compensate a non-exempt bi-weekly paid employee for overtime work by granting the employee compensatory time off in lieu of pay only if the employee requests compensatory time, in writing.
Employees engaged in public safety, emergency response or seasonal activity as defined by the Director of Personnel may have a maximum balance of two hundred forty (240) hours of compensatory time; except that Police Officer Trainees, Police Probationary Officers, Police Officers, and Police Sergeants shall only be allowed to accumulate up to forty (40) hours of compensatory time. All other employees are allowed a maximum balance of one hundred twenty (120) hours of compensatory time excluding compensatory time earned for working on a holiday. These maximum balances of compensatory time shall apply to employees working an average work week of forty (40) hours; the maximum balance of compensatory time for employees whose average work week is more or less than forty (40) hours shall be proportionate. No provision of this section establishing a maximum balance of compensatory time shall serve to cancel any compensatory time due to an employee or to deny an employee payment for recorded compensatory time earned in accordance with the provisions of the compensation ordinance in effect at the time the compensatory time was earned.
Each appointing authority shall establish procedures to assure that non-exempt employees are promptly granted time off when such employees request to use their earned compensatory time. Appointing authorities may not deny non-exempt employees' requests for earned compensatory time off except when such approval would create an extreme business hardship. For employees occupying the position of police officer trainee, police probationary officer, and police officer compensatory time may be used at such times and in such blocks as are mutually agreed upon between the supervisor and the employee and it shall not be unreasonably denied by the supervisor if operating requirements will not be adversely affected. When an appointing authority determines that the work schedule of the organization will not permit the granting of such time off, the appointing authority shall pay the employee in that same pay period for all or a portion equivalent to the time requested of the employee's accrued compensatory time. This provision requiring the prompt granting of requested time off applies only to compensatory time that is earned as a result of the employee working overtime; it does not apply to compensatory time earned as a result of an incentive program or award program.
Compensatory time earned by exempt employees shall be granted at the discretion of the appointing authority and upon request of the employee.
(f) Before an employee is transferred, promoted or demoted from a position under one appointing authority to a position under another appointing authority or to another unit with a different appropriation, all compensatory time shall be granted or paid. Upon termination all compensatory time shall be paid. Upon the death of an employee, the person or persons entitled by law to receive any compensation due to the employee shall be paid any amount due to the employee on the date of death.
(g) All departments shall keep daily attendance records of classified employees and shall submit periodic reports of: 1) unexcused absences and leaves; 2) overtime earned, granted, and paid; or 3) the non-occurrence of same to the Director of Personnel in the form and on the dates specified.
(Ord. No. 71963, § 15, 2-11-2025; Ord. No. 71686, § 15, 6-28-2023; Ord. No. 71512, § 15, 6-16-2022; Ord. No. 71099, § 15, 2-27-2020.)
Source: City of St. Louis, Missouri, Revised Code of the City of Saint Louis, 2020, Annotated, and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/mo/st._louis/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT4PE_CH4.10CLSEPL_4.10.150OVFetched: 11/1/2026