Energy Management: Department of Energy's Efforts to Manage Overtime Costs Have Been Limited

United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1994-09-27 monographic deposited born digital GA 1.13:RCED-94-282 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-282 P0b002ee180396dd1 f:rc94282 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-282 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-282 RCED-94-282 Overtime compensation Cost control Planning Federal employees Personnel management Annual leave Federal personnel law Compensatory time Documentation Human resources utilization Letter Report RCED Energy Management: Department of Energy's Efforts to Manage Overtime Costs Have Been Limited The Energy Department's (DOE) direct overtime costs for federal employees almost doubled from $15.5 million to $30.4 million in 1992. DOE has paid overtime for everything from carpet installation to the transport and escort of special nuclear materials. DOE's efforts to manage overtime and minimize costs have been minimal. First, written justifications for overtime are often vague and reviewed only by the employees' immediate supervisors. Thus, some questionable overtime, such as driving DOE officials to the airport from their homes on weekends, continues without scrutiny to ensure that this work is essential or cost-effective. Second, although federal agencies may require that employees take compensatory time rather than receive pay for overtime, DOE does not require them to take compensatory time. Finally, contrary to DOE's policy, employees' annual leave is not always planned to minimize the use of overtime. In some cases, employees took annual leave, worked several regular hours, and then worked overtime after regular working hours. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-282/html/GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-282.htm GAO/RCED-94-282 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-282 Letter Report GAO/RCED-94-282; Energy Management: Department of Energy's Efforts to Manage Overtime Costs Have Been Limited; Overtime compensation Cost control Planning Federal employees Personnel management Annual leave Federal personnel law Compensatory time Documentation Human resources utilization