Opinion ID: 588914
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Preparation for pre-shift briefings

Text: 56 The supervisory Plaintiffs contest the jury's determination that they are not entitled to recover for time spent prior to pre-shift briefings. 19 These Plaintiffs, all of whom served either as sergeants or acting sergeants, seek compensation for the 15-30 minutes they allege they spent, prior to pre-shift briefings, preparing for those briefings. The 15-minute briefing, at the beginning of each 8 1/2-hour shift, is one of the responsibilities of a supervising sergeant. According to the testimony of the supervisory Plaintiffs, the briefings necessitate advance preparation in the form of reviewing daily intra-office communications and directives; sorting through paperwork on pending investigative and monitoring tasks, such as citizen letters regarding abandoned vehicles and citizen vacation watch notifications; inventorying administrative and court documents requiring attention, such as uncompleted reports and court subpoenas and notices; reviewing the duty roster; gathering information regarding what crimes have occurred during the previous shift; determining what cars are available; and, making car, patrol and meal period assignments. (R., Appendix to Brief of Appellants, exh. T at 320-23; Appellee's Supplemental Appendix, exh. G at 535, 564, & 635). This testimony by the supervising Plaintiffs was confirmed by one of Defendant's witnesses, who also has served as a supervising sergeant on the Shawnee police force. (R., Appellee's Supplemental Appendix, exh. G at 829). 57 Notwithstanding the quantity and uniformity of this testimony, the jury could have chosen not to believe that the supervisory Plaintiffs were, as a matter of fact, working prior to pre-shift briefings. Mere presence at the workplace does not require compensation if the employee freely chooses to put in additional time as a matter of personal preference or convenience. See Lindow v. United States, 738 F.2d 1057, 1061 (9th Cir.1984). Section 553.221(b) of the Federal Code of Regulations, Title 29, states: 58 Compensable hours of work generally include all of the time during which an employee is on duty on the employer's premises or at a prescribed workplace, as well as all other time during which the employee is suffered or permitted to work for the employer. Such time includes all pre-shift and post-shift activities which are an integral part of the employee's principal activity or which are closely related to the performance of the principal activity, such as attending role call, writing up and completing tickets or reports, and washing and re-racking fire hoses. 59 29 C.F.R. § 553.221(b). In carrying out its function of assessing witness credibility, the jury may have simply found that the supervisory Plaintiffs' pre-shift activities were not properly characterized as work. See Mumbower v. Callicott, 526 F.2d 1183, 1188 (8th Cir.1975). See also Handler v. Thrasher, 191 F.2d 120, 123 (10th Cir.1951) (compensation commensurate with number of hours employee worked for the employer's benefit); Wirtz v. Bledsoe, 365 F.2d 277, 278 (10th Cir.1966) (same). The jury could have properly concluded that the supervisory Plaintiffs failed to meet their burden of proof on this claim. The appellate court will not retry the issues or second guess the decision-making of the jury. It is the jury's exclusive province to assess the credibility of witnesses and determine the weight to be given to their testimony. White v. Conoco, Inc., 710 F.2d 1442, 1443 (10th Cir.1983). The supervisory Plaintiffs have failed to demonstrate a basis for overturning the jury verdict. 20