Minneapolis, Minnesota's Hennepin County is being forced to pay a big overtime bill this year, according to The Star Tribune. A recent analysis of workers' earnings reveal several projects, including the Lowry Bridge, caused premium payouts to surge 8.8 percent in 2011. In total, the state paid employees $5.3 million in extra wages for working more than 40 hours a week.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guarantees non-exempt workers receive at least minimum wage for all of their hours worked and time-and-a-half rates if their employee attendance exceeds 40 hours. This applies to many construction workers and state employees.

A report released by the source shows that the Sheriff's office was responsible for most the extra wages, totaling $2.7 million for 654 employees. The Transportation department accrued $1.1 million in overtime expenses, followed by the Community Corrections and Rehab, which racked up a $484,000 tab for premium pay and The Human Services for Public Health and Property Services cost the state $234,000 for additional hours worked.

If departments are working to bring down these expenses, they can install a payroll processing system that tracks time and attendance electronically. That way, supervisors can manage overtime earnings more accurately.

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