Legal Question in Employment Law in District of Columbia

Can an employer require you to keep a certification?

When hired as a Firefighter/Paramedic I was told I would have to keep my paramedic certification for the duration of my career. There are other firefighters who are not paramedics, I would like to drop my certification and take the pay cut (10%).

Thanks for the help.


Asked on 6/01/11, 10:35 am

1 Answer from Attorneys

Torrance Colvin The Colvin Law Firm

Short answer is: yes. An employer can dictate the educational and certification requirements necessary for employment. If you were hired in a dual capacity as a firefighter AND paramedic, and certification as a paramedic was a part of the terms of your employment, then you must maintain those terms.

This is not to say that the employer cannot allow you to forego certification and only maintain firefighter status. It is still their decision, so you should probably check with human resources to see if they will allow you to drop the paramedic certification.

Best of luck.

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Answered on 6/07/11, 4:49 am


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