San Francisco County Grand Jury • 1999-2000

Overtime Study Report of the 1999-2000 San Francisco Civil Grand Jury

19 pages

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⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.

Findings and Recommendations 16 findings

court appearances by arresting officer after shift ends or on day off

Related Recommendations (1)

Police Officer court appearances should be coordinated with the District Attorney’s Office and the courts to attempt to arrange appearances on a scheduled workday with a realistic time scheduled for the appearance. Required Response Police Department District Attorney

report writing when an arrest is made near end of shift

Related Recommendations (1)

The Sheriff’s Department should be responsible for custody of all prisoners delivered to the jail or to a medical facility while awaiting treatment. Individual officers should be relieved of this responsibility. Required Response Police Department Police Commission Sheriff’s Department

arrested person in need of medical treatment is routinely rejected by the Sheriff's

Related Recommendations (1)

Street fairs consume substantial overtime and the entity conducting the fair is only responsible to contribute a maximum of $2,500 toward the costs incurred by the City. This contribution is sometimes waived by the Board of Supervisors depending on political considerations. The fee should be increased and guidelines established for the uniform waiver of fees. Required Response Police Department Board of Supervisors

Department causing the officer, who may be at the end of his shift, to accompany the prisoner to medical facility and to wait until the facility accepts the prisoner City emergencies

Related Recommendations (1)

The use of police officers for private functions under Administrative Code section 10b results in some reimbursement to the City for overtime incurred. The Board of Supervisors recently repealed the requirement that a 20 percent fee be charged in addition to the overtime incurred. The repealed fee was not uniformly charged and that served as a reason for its repeal. Currently no charge is assessed for the cost of administering the program or for the use of City equipment by police officers hired under the 10b program. The 20 percent fee should be reinstated and assessed equally in all instances. If a waiver is justified it should be pursuant to established guidelines and not waived on the basis of political considerations. Required Response Police Department Board of Supervisors

supplying officers for private events*

Related Recommendations (1)

Studies should be made to determine whether some of the current Deputy assignments could be appropriately and adequately performed by non-law enforcement personnel. Required Response Sheriff’s Department Fire Department

filming of movies and commercials*

Related Recommendations (1)

Work rules should be re-examined to determine whether the current requirements unnecessarily contribute to overtime requirements. Required Response Fire Department Fire Commission

private security needs of businesses.*

Related Recommendations (1)

The Department should increase its vigilance in curtailing and prosecuting fraudulent sickness and compensation claims. Required Response Fire Department Fire Commission

(*in some instances, the City may receive reimbursement of some of the overtime costs) FIRE DEPARTMENT: Understaffing emergencies

Related Recommendations (1)

Investigate incidents determined to be a tactic to discredit the chief, responsible personnel should be identified and disciplined or terminated. Required Response Fire Department Fire Commission

absences due to fraudulent worker's compensation claims .

Related Recommendations (1)

While Fire Department personnel understandably wish to witness the joy of a child receiving a toy, the City could arrange for the toys to be delivered in a less costly manner. Required Response Fire Department Fire Commission

F10

for some absenteeism Overtime paid to employees who participate in the delivery of toys during the

Related Recommendations (1)

R10

A comprehensive study ought to be made of Fire Department activities and policies to determine the root causes of its continuing heavy use of overtime. Required Response Fire Department Fire Commission

F11

Department's Toys for Tots program Alleged incidents of racism directed at the Chief may have resulted in overtime

Related Recommendations (1)

R11

An independent committee should be appointed to work with the Department to establish controls aimed at reducing overtime. Required Response Fire Department Fire Commission Municipal Railway

F12

abuses in order to call into question the Chief's management skills. MUNICIPAL RAILWAY: Understaffing

Related Recommendations (1)

R12

Legislation is required that would limit payment for overtime only where the workweek exceeds 40 hours. Employees should not be able to be absent during a regular workday and then receive overtime for working on their regular day off during the same workweek. Required Response Board of Supervisors Public Transportation Department

F13

unexcused absenteeism

Related Recommendations (1)

R13

Overtime incurred for special events should be budgeted separately thereby allowing management to focus on other root causes of overtime not related to special events. Required Response Public Transportation Department

F14

fraudulent worker's compensation claims

Related Recommendations (1)

R14

Management has a problem obtaining current data due to its use of technologically outdated information systems. Other departments have similar complaints. The City should analyze its information systems and include in its budget funding for a state-of- the-art management information system that potentially can be shared with all departments having similar needs. Required Response Public Transportation Department Human Resources Department General Recommendations In addition to the specific recommendations above, we have the following general recommendations that cover all departments. Department heads are responsible for controlling overtime. The budget process consists of departments budgeting for overtime by generally basing the request upon the prior year’s experience. As a result, overtime has become institutionalized as part of the budget. Common experience suggests that a department will find ways to use overtime funds awarded to it in the budget. The City will not be able to control overtime unless the systemic institutionalized process can be diverted to a process which views overtime as an extraordinary expenditure and there is an independent review for all overtime awarded.

F15

outdated management information systems

Related Recommendations (1)

R15

The Civil Grand Jury believes that there are several job classifications that could provide additional employment opportunities while reducing overtime hours. One possibility is the General Laborer (7514) job classification, which appears in the Port Authority, Water Department, and rather extensively in the Department of Public Works. The other consists of the Security Guards (8202), Institutional Police Officers (8204) and even Museum Guards (8226) who received significant overtime hours in various City departments. Additional persons hired into these job classifications could significantly reduce the risks and expenses involved with the dependency on overtime used to deliver necessary City services. Required Response Mayor Board of Supervisors Controller

F16

poor hiring practices

Related Recommendations (1)

R16

Discretionary and emergency overtime should be budgeted separately. Only unforeseen events should be considered in the emergency category. Required Response Board of Supervisors Controller

Additional Recommendations 3

These recommendations are not explicitly linked to specific findings.

R17

Currently biannual reports are required where overtime for an employee exceeds 16 percent of base pay. Departments should be required to submit the report at the end of each month. The report should document the name of the employee, the amount of overtime pay earned, the reasons for the overtime and the department’s plan of action to eliminate future discretionary overtime. Required Response Mayor Board of Supervisors Controller
R18

Although the offices of the mayor and the controller have recently initiated monthly overtime expenditure reports, monitoring of the report requires that it be submitted for review by an independent body, the responsible commission, the mayor and the Board of Supervisors. Overtime expenditures for all departments should be reviewed by an independent oversight committee appointed by the Board of Supervisors. If the overtime expenditure is found to be excessive, the department head and oversight committee should work together to develop a plan to control future overtime expenditures. Multiple incidents of excessive overtime expenditures should be brought to the attention of the mayor for possible counseling of the department head. Required Response Mayor Board of Supervisors
R19

The Mayor, who has the power to hire and who can influence his or her appointed commissioners to fire department heads, has the ultimate responsibility for controlling overtime abuses. The cycle of overtime use, abuses and pension enhancement can be broken if the Mayor exerts leadership by letting department heads know it is City policy that the need for overtime is an extraordinary event and is to be kept to a minimum. It should be the City’s goal to have appropriate staffing to fill the justifiable employee needs of the City, to budget for appropriate staffing, and to seek to reduce overtime as a way of life for City employees. Required Response Mayor

Conclusions 16

CL1

court appearances by arresting officer after shift ends or on day off
CL2

report writing when an arrest is made near end of shift
CL3

arrested person in need of medical treatment is routinely rejected by the Sheriff's
CL4

Department causing the officer, who may be at the end of his shift, to accompany the prisoner to medical facility and to wait until the facility accepts the prisoner City emergencies
CL5

supplying officers for private events*
CL6

filming of movies and commercials*
CL7

private security needs of businesses.*
CL8

(*in some instances, the City may receive reimbursement of some of the overtime costs) FIRE DEPARTMENT: Understaffing emergencies
CL9

absences due to fraudulent worker's compensation claims .
CL10

for some absenteeism Overtime paid to employees who participate in the delivery of toys during the
CL11

Department's Toys for Tots program Alleged incidents of racism directed at the Chief may have resulted in overtime
CL12

abuses in order to call into question the Chief's management skills. MUNICIPAL RAILWAY: Understaffing
CL13

unexcused absenteeism
CL14

fraudulent worker's compensation claims
CL15

outdated management information systems
CL16

poor hiring practices