Maryland county grapples with elevated overtime pay, understaffing
The four agencies in Montgomery County, Maryland, that spent the most on overtime in 2010 were found to have increased their spending in the last quarter of the fiscal year that ended on June 30, according to the Washington Examiner.
Compensation for employee attendance that exceeded the hours of a normal work week rose by $3 million among the Department of Corrections, the Police Department, the Department of Transportation and Fire and Rescue Services - an increase of more than one-quarter from last year's figures.
The county council has expressed concern about the elevated rate of spending, particularly with regard to the current economic crisis. Agency officials claim that overtime has increased due to understaffing.
"Sometimes it's more cost effective to pay overtime than it is to hire full-time salary people, (but) there's a point where in the long term it is more cost-effective to have a body in a full-time position," said Fire Chief Richard Bowers, as quoted by the news source.
The city of Los Angeles recently took the opposite tack to Montgomery County by eliminating overtime for its police officers in an effort to avoid layoffs.
Compensation for employee attendance that exceeded the hours of a normal work week rose by $3 million among the Department of Corrections, the Police Department, the Department of Transportation and Fire and Rescue Services - an increase of more than one-quarter from last year's figures.
The county council has expressed concern about the elevated rate of spending, particularly with regard to the current economic crisis. Agency officials claim that overtime has increased due to understaffing.
"Sometimes it's more cost effective to pay overtime than it is to hire full-time salary people, (but) there's a point where in the long term it is more cost-effective to have a body in a full-time position," said Fire Chief Richard Bowers, as quoted by the news source.
The city of Los Angeles recently took the opposite tack to Montgomery County by eliminating overtime for its police officers in an effort to avoid layoffs.
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