Administratively Uncontrollable Overtime

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the management of administratively uncontrollable overtime (AUO) in the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service, focusing on: (1) whether the agencies' AUO programs were being administered according to government criteria; (2) whether agency employees were abusing their AUO programs; and (3) how much the agencies spent on AUO in 1994. GAO noted that: (1) the agencies generally administered their AUO programs in accordance with government criteria; (2) there was no evidence that employees systematically abused AUO programs, although some law enforcement officers occasionally claimed AUO for duties that did not meet the compelling need requirement; and (3) the agencies spent approximately $6 million on AUO payments in 1994.