Delaware News

Statewide Overtime Inspection

Auditor of Accounts | Former Auditor of Accounts - R. Thomas Wagner, Jr. | Date Posted: Wednesday, October 31, 2018



State Auditor, R. Thomas Wagner, Jr., has released an Inspection report on Statewide Overtime for Fiscal Years 2016 and 2017.

The Office of the Auditor of Accounts (AOA) obtained Statewide payroll data[1] to identify the top 50 overtime earners, and determine whether overtime was properly approved and reasonable.  The State spent roughly $57 million in overtime during Fiscal Year 2016, with those costs increasing to approximately $60 million in Fiscal Year 2017.  In Fiscal Year 2016, 50 people across 5 departments earned roughly $3 million in overtime, with 2 individuals earning more than $100,000 in overtime.  During Fiscal Year 2017, 3 departments spent roughly $3.5 million on overtime payments to 50 individuals, with 5 individuals earning more than $100,000 in overtime.

All overtime reviewed by AOA was properly approved and for a valid purpose.  In applying our reasonableness test, we found that 30 out of 200 pay periods reviewed showed employees working greater than 150 hours per pay period in Fiscal Year 2016.[2]  For Fiscal Year 2017, 44 of the 250 pay periods reviewed showed employees working greater than 150 hours.

Most of the overtime payments were made by agencies that were experiencing staffing shortages in positions that require minimum staffing levels to ensure the safety and security of patients and the public.  As such, the State should consider implementing changes to attract and retain employees in the nursing and youth counselor career paths to reduce the need for large amounts of overtime.

For the full results of the inspection, please see the report available on AOA’s website, auditor.delaware.gov.

Please direct any questions to State Auditor Wagner at 302-739-5055 or r.thomas.wagner@delaware.gov.

 

[1] Excluding Department of Corrections (DOC) and the Department of Education (DOE), school districts, and charter schools.

[2] A standard State employee works 75 hours per pay period.

image_printPrint


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.

Statewide Overtime Inspection

Auditor of Accounts | Former Auditor of Accounts - R. Thomas Wagner, Jr. | Date Posted: Wednesday, October 31, 2018



State Auditor, R. Thomas Wagner, Jr., has released an Inspection report on Statewide Overtime for Fiscal Years 2016 and 2017.

The Office of the Auditor of Accounts (AOA) obtained Statewide payroll data[1] to identify the top 50 overtime earners, and determine whether overtime was properly approved and reasonable.  The State spent roughly $57 million in overtime during Fiscal Year 2016, with those costs increasing to approximately $60 million in Fiscal Year 2017.  In Fiscal Year 2016, 50 people across 5 departments earned roughly $3 million in overtime, with 2 individuals earning more than $100,000 in overtime.  During Fiscal Year 2017, 3 departments spent roughly $3.5 million on overtime payments to 50 individuals, with 5 individuals earning more than $100,000 in overtime.

All overtime reviewed by AOA was properly approved and for a valid purpose.  In applying our reasonableness test, we found that 30 out of 200 pay periods reviewed showed employees working greater than 150 hours per pay period in Fiscal Year 2016.[2]  For Fiscal Year 2017, 44 of the 250 pay periods reviewed showed employees working greater than 150 hours.

Most of the overtime payments were made by agencies that were experiencing staffing shortages in positions that require minimum staffing levels to ensure the safety and security of patients and the public.  As such, the State should consider implementing changes to attract and retain employees in the nursing and youth counselor career paths to reduce the need for large amounts of overtime.

For the full results of the inspection, please see the report available on AOA’s website, auditor.delaware.gov.

Please direct any questions to State Auditor Wagner at 302-739-5055 or r.thomas.wagner@delaware.gov.

 

[1] Excluding Department of Corrections (DOC) and the Department of Education (DOE), school districts, and charter schools.

[2] A standard State employee works 75 hours per pay period.

image_printPrint


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.