Earlier this year, an audit of the Cleveland Fire Department's payroll records revealed that many employees had been violating policies for years to boost their paychecks. The audit uncovered common practice in which workers were taking advantage of lax shift-swapping policies to boost their overtime earnings and benefit from sick days they did not earn.

This systematic abuse was costing taxpayers millions of dollars, according to WCPO-TV. As a result, the department has cleaned up its payroll practices to include additional checks that will hold employees accountable.

If the department continues at it's current pace - having already trimmed back payroll expenses for overtime by about $1 million, according to city officials - the city could come in $600,000 under budget, the Plain Dealer reports. However, whether these advances are in fact the result of reformed employee attendance policies, or if it's owed to smaller staff sizes due to recent downsizing and layoffs remains in question.

When companies are looking to reign in overtime spending, they can consider updating their recordkeeping systems. Simply making the switch from paper-based records to a timeclock that records time and attendance electronically can help departments track and manage overtime accrual.

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