Begg v. State

36 Ill. Ct. Cl. 51, 1983 Ill. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 10
CourtCourt of Claims of Illinois
DecidedNovember 8, 1983
DocketNo. 78-CC-0738
StatusPublished

This text of 36 Ill. Ct. Cl. 51 (Begg v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Claims of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Begg v. State, 36 Ill. Ct. Cl. 51, 1983 Ill. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 10 (Ill. Super. Ct. 1983).

Opinion

Holderman, J.

This is a claim by one Thomas Begg, Jr., a former special agent for the Illinois Bureau of Investigation, who is seeking to collect overtime pay alleged to be due him.

Claimant is a former special agent, Department of Law Enforcement, Illinois Bureau of Investigation, and was employed in that capacity from April 1970 through May 31,1977. He received his training at the Illinois State Police Academy and in June 1970 he became a special agent assigned to either the Organized Crime Division or the Special Investigation Division until he terminated his employment.

At the training academy, Claimant was advised that as a special agent he would be required to work additional hours over and above the normal hours of a work week and, after receiving this warning, he still continued to work for the State in his capacity as special agent. Claimant was not required to punch a clock nor report to his office on a daily basis. The nature of the work required working odd hours and working hours in addition to the ususal 40-hour week. Overtime was an authorized part of his duties and his supervisors expected overtime in order to complete assignments. Claimant voluntarily worked overtime in order to complete his investigations on many occasions.

In view of the fact the job entailed additional hours, the Illinois Bureau of Investigation instituted a policy of granting compensatory time off. For each hour worked in excess of 40 hours each week, agents would be allowed an hour of compensatory time.

As a result of the heavy case load and insufficient manpower in the Department, none of the agents were able to take all of the compensatory time earned but were limited to two compensatory days off per month from 1970 to June 1, 1971, and to four compensatory days off per month from 1971 through 1977. Time worked and compensatory time earned and taken were reported by each agent on special forms supplied by the Illinois Bureau of Investigation.

Despite the fact that Claimant’s supervisors knew that no more than four days per month compensatory time would be allowed, Claimant’s request for compensatory time was granted by his supervisors. Claimant earned much more than four days of compensatory time each month but he was never able to take more than the allowed four days. He was told by his supervisors that earned compensatory time not taken within an 18-month period would be lost. He was also informed that no monies would be paid to him for unused compensatory time. Claimant did not know of any other special agents who were paid for unused compensatory time and he admitted that no persons in authority ever advised him that he would be paid for unused compensatory time.

Claimant, during the term of his employment, accumulated 2,242.5 hours of unused compensatory time, amounting to $14,170.07 based on his regular pay.

William O’Sullivan, the present deputy director of the Illinois Department of Law Enforcement, and Thomas Howard, Sr., formerly division chief of the Illinois Bureau of Investigation, both confirmed that overtime was expected of agents; that no authorization was ever made to pay special agents for unused compensatory time; and that because of case loads the special agents were not allowed to take all of the compensatory time earned.

On September 1, 1973, the superintendent of the Illinois Bureau of Investigation issued a general order which mandated that all compensatory time which was not used as of the time of termination of employment would be forfeited. Although Claimant could not remember reading the general order, he admitted that special agents were required to read each general order, sign it, and retain a copy for themselves.

The issue in this case is whether there are any rules of the Department of Personnel which provide for payment in cash of unused compensatory time and, if not, whether there was any contractual arrangement which would require Respondent to pay cash for unused compensatory time.

There are three Department of Personnel rules in question. Rule 3 — 340 became effective May 1,1970, and is as follows:

“Rule 3 — 340. OVERTIME: Authorized work in excess of an approved work schedule shall be overtime. Such work may be compensated for in cash or compensatory time as determined by the Director. Overtime work shall be distributed as equitably as possible among employees competent to perform the services required, and they shall be given as much advance notice as possible. Time spent in travel shall not be considered overtime.
Compensatory time shall be scheduled at the convenience of the employing agency, after consideration of the employee’s preference, but within 12 months of its accrual. If such compensatory time off is not liquidated within 12 months of its accrual the agency shall pay the employee for such overtime by adding a sum equivalent to its value at the employee’s rate of pay at the time the overtime was performed, to the employee’s salary voucher within 30 days after the expiration of such 12-month period.
The Director shall maintain lists of those positions which are exempt from the payment of overtime in any form.
This Rule shall be subject to such modification as may be necessary to comply with such provisions of Public Law 89 — 601 as may be applicable to positions in the State service. (As revised January 20, 1970).”

Rule 3 — 340 was revised and the following became effective on October 1, 1970:

“Rule 3 — 340. OVERTIME: Authorized work in excess of an approved work schedule shall be overtime. Such work may be compensated for in cash or compensatory time as determined by the Director. Overtime work shall be distributed as equitably as possible among employees competent to perform the services required, and they shall be given as much advance notice as possible. Time spent in travel shall not be considered overtime.
Compensatory time shall be scheduled at the convenience of the employing agency, after consideration of the employee’s preference, but within the fiscal year during which the related overtime was worked. If such compensatory time is not liquidated within the fiscal year during which it has been earned, said time must be liquidated in cash at the end of the fiscal year.
The Director shall maintain lists of those positions which are exempt from the payment of overtime in any form.
This rule shall be subject to such modification as may be necessary to comply with such provisions of Public Law 89 — 601 as may be applicable to positions in the State service. (As revised September 22,1970).”

On June 1, 1975, Rule 3 — 320 became effective. It is as follows:

“Rule 3 — 320. OVERTIME: For those positions approved by the Director and designated on lists maintained by the Director, authorized work in excess of an approved work schedule shall be overtime. Such work may be compensated for in cash or compensatory time as determined by the agency provided such desigation is in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act, as amended.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

McDougall v. State of Illinois, Department of Law Enforcement
30 Ill. Ct. Cl. 629 (Court of Claims of Illinois, 1975)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
36 Ill. Ct. Cl. 51, 1983 Ill. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 10, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/begg-v-state-ilclaimsct-1983.