Postal Service Needs To Strengthen Controls Over Employee Overtime

Highlights

GAO reported on the Postal Service's need to improve overtime controls.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected	Recommendation	Status
United States Postal Service	The Postmaster General, to improve control over the use of overtime, should ensure that planned overtime hours be included in the work-hour budget and reported on the work-hour report.	Closed – Not Implemented The Postal Service maintains that effective control over overtime is possible without including it as a line item in the budget.
United States Postal Service	The Postmaster General, to improve control over the use of overtime, should ensure that employees with constant and high overtime use be periodically identified for a determination as to whether the work can be done on straight time.	Closed – Implemented When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
United States Postal Service	The Postmaster General, to improve control over the use of overtime, should ensure that facility managers be instructed to not hire additional employees to reduce overtime until its underlying causes are determined.	Closed – Implemented When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
United States Postal Service	The Postal Service should require facility managers to prepare periodic reports showing the extent of retroactively approved overtime.	Closed – Implemented When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
United States Postal Service	The Postal Service should require facility managers to monitor forced overtime to identify supervisors who are not fulfilling their responsibility to control work schedules.	Closed – Implemented When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
United States Postal Service	The Postal Service should require facility managers to periodically remind supervisors and timekeepers of their respective responsibilities for maintaining control of employee work schedules.	Closed – Implemented When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

See All 6 Recommendations

Full Report

(44 pages)

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Topics

Government Operations

Internal controlsOvertime compensationPostal servicePostal service employeesQuestionable paymentsBudgetingAccounting periodsPayroll recordsJudgesBudgets