How much overtime is too much at state agencies? A new state audit suggests they need to do a better job of managing their employees’ overtime hours, identifying $13.1 million in overtime pay in the 2007-08 fiscal year and more than 150 employees who earned at least $10,000 that way. The Kansas Department of Transportation spent $4.2 million on overtime. The Kansas Highway Patrol spent $2 million, including $29,000 to an explosives expert. Two Kansas Lottery employees worked more than 700 hours of overtime, increasing their annual income by nearly 50 percent. (At least the state was reimbursed for some of that overtime by a Rhode Island contractor, according to Ed Van Petten, executive director of the Kansas Lottery.) A physician at the Kansas Neurological Institute in Topeka augmented a $40,000 salary with $36,000 of overtime. Unfortunately, the remedy recommended by state auditors — hiring more permanent staff — will be hard until the budget crisis passes.
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17 Comments
Hire them as staff based on set salary, not an hourly wage, problem solved.
They get paid the same, no matter how much overtime they work.
Just have to give them comp time then.
Also, salary people are notorious for wasting time.
Sounds like a shortage of Government workers. Perhaps if we compensated them better for a 40 hour week, more and talented people would be attracted to civic work.
Overtime is GREAT for employers- whether they are public or private. Sure, they gripe about it but if not for overtime, they’d be paying a lot more. If you have 4 employees doing the work of 5 with OT, you are saving on benefits, taxes and other cost of having to hire new employees.
KDOC is understaffed and it is absurd. Never should prisons be understaffed. They figure it costs less to pay overtime than give benefits and all, but it still isn’t right.
Kev, as a business person, no, I do not ever want to pay overtime to my employees.
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Phantom
Posted July 6, 2009 at 7:47 am | Permalink
Also, salary people are notorious for wasting time.
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Like blogging during working hours, huh?
I would imagine that the situation with the state is very much like in any business due to the current economic climate. They’re not hiring or back filling for people who leave or retire. Even though the people go away, the work doesn’t. Somebody has to do that work hence, overtime. On the face of it, overtime sounds like a huge expense, but it still is a cost savings since the state is saved the cost of benefits and other expenses related to hiring another employee.
Phantom, salaried people aren’t paid for the number of hours they work; they’re paid for what they accomplish. I’m salaried and I average 45-50 hours a week and I’m on call 24/7. There’s upsides and downs to being salaried. If I show up for 5 minutes in the morning, I get paid for the day. But if I get called in for an emergency and spend 30 hours in the plant on a weekend, no extra pay. In most cases, I’m paid to make decisions, not put in hours.
I’m salaried, and I do not waste time, this is the last day of my vacation.
But I do know of at least one person who is salaried who does waste time. It aggravates me because I have to work harder.
As usual, not enough information is presented by the news article to reach a rational conclusion.
Some leap to conclusions based on their own bias:
-JR says there needs to be more workers hired in Government.
-Regular says make em all salaried.
-The evil boss Pmom doesn’t ever want to pay OT for HER employees. (Break the law much or you just send them home after 40 hours whether the job is getting done or not?)
XXX had the best answer – sometimes it makes good business sense (and good sense for those charged with using taxpayer dollars wisely) to get the job done with OT, rather then hire more Full Time people. Especially with seasonal peaks, as in the road construction example cited, it often is more cost effective to pay OT to those who are only working 6 months at a time.
Whether Government is making the best decision on a cost/benefit basis cannot be determined from the lack of information in the ‘news’ article cited.
The Press it seems, thinks OT is excessive just because it exists at all. And this just exhibits the bias of the press, which shares JR’s view. (Perhaps JR believes everything he reads in the press?)
What’s needed, is a full report which drills down on the cost/benefit and also determines whether metrics and measurements are in place to make sure productivity is satisfactory. Are taxpayers getting the satisfactory bang for their taxpayer bucks?
Political_mama
Posted July 6, 2009 at 9:30 am | Permalink
I’m salaried, and I do not waste time, this is the last day of my vacation.
But I do know of at least one person who is salaried who does waste time. It aggravates me because I have to work harder.
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You shouldn’t be so bitter Pmomma. You should be thankful that you are gifted so that you can be more productive then others.
It’s not the other salaried person’s fault that they can’t be as productive as you.
But they should still get the same pay and benefits as you because, to each according to their need, from each according to their ability.
Socialism, you love rewarding people the same no matter how productive or non-productive they are.
What are you a capitalist?
Overtime would have never been necessary if they hadn’t started cutting staff in the 80s, then it just became the status quo. Now when an employee is removed or has retired, they just don’t replace that position. They say that position has phased out and they give those duties to other already existing staff. Thereby, you have one person now doing the work of 2 or 3 people or maybe even more.
Then they have the gall to complain about overworking these very same people by making them work overtime. No wonder efficiency and good customer service is no longer the status quo. What a shame that it had to happen to us.
Some can see it and some probably never will. But when employees have to do the job of 2 or more people and work overtime on top of that, mistakes are bound to happen. Anyone want to make a gander on how that affects our airline industry? Hmmm? And just think about all of the other occupations where this is happening and we are placing our lives in their hands.
It is not the fault of the employee. The employee doesn’t make that decision, that is their employer (maybe even your employer) and it uses the management to push its agenda. How pathetic!
We have all worked overtime. Any more than 2 shifts per pay period is all going into withholding tax anyways. Look at the overtime. 1 shift puts money in your pocket. The second shift, you clear about half. The 3rd shift on in the same pay period, is going out in withholding taxes. The more overtime worked, the more money going into withholding tax revenue. That is State and Federal withholding. The problem is the abuse by the State and Federal Government on the tax collected. Overtime is cheaper in the long run. Why?? 1 person gets hurt on the job. 1 person collects workers comp. If they do the job of 2 people we saved money. If 2 people get hurt, we pay 2 sets of workers comp. 1 person gets 2 weeks paid vacation, and paid sick leave. 2 people would cost double on both. The state pays the health insurance on these employees and families. More employees, more premiums every month out of tax revenue. Is the overtime 100% wrong? NO!!! Is not hiring 100% correct? NO!!! Does this warrant a balance to help facilitate the State Budget? Yes, there is more to a State Budget than numbers in the bank. Salary bite’s. It requires that the person work upto 60 to 70 hours a week with no overtime. How many of you would work for McDonalds 60 hours and only get the pay that is equal to 40 hours? Lets say it is $8.00 and hour. $8.00 times 40 hours is $320.00 before taxes. If they go to salary they work 60 hours and recieve, $320.00. OOps!!! In this, they are getting about $6.00 an hour. Even when they get a raise. They make less in salary than they do as an hourly worker. Salary workers are not lazy and don’t neglect their work. They tend to stop being productive afetr their 40 hours worked in a 60 hour schedule. There is no incentive to work more hours. They get $320.00 eitherway. It is better for them to moonlight and work 20 hours somewhere else. The kicker, salary workers cannot moonlight unless they cover the required 40 hours and the 20 hours of company/agancy regulated, “HOUR AND WAGE ALLOWABLE MANDATES”, by their employeer. If they work 40 hours and refuse to come in when called in to cover the allowable 20 hours by hour and wage, they can be fired and lose their benefits. The other kicker, un-employment is based on hourly wage. Un-employment cannot be paid on salary. It is based on a maximum of 40 hours a week to facilitate equality in the work force under the Hour and Wage Codes and Standards. It is based on total earnings, as a sliding scale. It is a set rate based on, number of dependants, etc:.. There is a maximum that anyone can get for un-employment. Someone who makes $30.00 and hour will get the same un-employment as a person who makes $5.00 an hour. The Salary system bites.!!!!!!!! We need to see our State “NEEDS” met and we need to see their “WANTS” set aside. Right know we have a $140,000,000.00 surplus and don’t “NEED” a Bio Plant/Lab. Where have they tested foods and agriculture since processed foods and ranchers started raising cattle, chickens, hogs, etc:.. We have the safest food in the world. Why spend money we don’t “NEED” to spend? They “WANT” a Lab/Plant, “WE” don’t “NEED” one. Herbert West 3rd, Candidate for Kansas Governor, 2010.
Personally, I think making all workers except non-senior management and above makes the most sense. You show up and do your job you get paid. Don’t go to work and you don’t get paid.
The only salaried people who consistently perform below performance standards generally also have tenure.
First of all I have never been a socialist. I believe in a mix government. I have said numerous times that I believe in merit pay. I think bosses should be fair. Our hours are set, there is no reason one of my employees should have to work overtime. You don’t know what kind of work I do Jim Jones, so shut up.
Christhecrazychristian, who was in charge in the 80’s when they began cutting staff? Reagan. Remember how awful shape people were in, where the rich got a ton richer and the poor were screwed? Those mean bosses sat up there making everyone work harder, faster, and with fewer employees.
Well PMOM you are a slave driver in a nursing home, didn’t you say that?
The Big Boss lady now. Evil employer btich.
As for the 80’s, I remember doing very well in the 80’s as a college student and just starting my career in business.
Pmom, you were the one whining about the slacker you work with.
You sounded like you should earn more then the slacker. That would make you a capitalist evil boss btich.