These New York State Workers Earned $150,000 Or More In OT Last Year

[TTL News 315]

Quote

 

ALBANY - Overtime costs at state agencies in New York increased 5.5% last year as COVID-19 put some departments into high gear to address the pandemic, records showed.

Overtime surged in particular at the state Department of Labor as it grappled with an unprecedented rise in unemployment claims last year. Overtime jumped nearly $25 million in 2020 at the labor department compared to 2019, accounting for 56% of the total overtime increase at state agencies last year.

Additionally, 15 state workers each raked in more than $150,000 in overtime last year — in most cases more than doubling their base salaries, the records from the state Comptroller's Office obtained by the USA TODAY Network New York through a Freedom of Information request showed.

 

See the rest here. 

[Kevin 342]

5 of the top 15 are from Southport or Elmira Correctional Facility.  

The hours works show that most of them were working 80+ hours a week all year. Really building up that retirement.  I can't say I blame them, but how productive can someone be working that many hours every week?

What's the saying, Don't hate the player, hate the game.

[MsKreed 1,201]

Agreed...they're working a system that politicians and unions created. 

Until recently, the contracts allowed state employees to accept OT and then "call in sick" for their regular shift. Essentially changing from one shift to another and taking home 2.5 times their regular rate for the same number of hours on the clock. As noted, they can still do that for scheduled vacation days only (collect regular pay as vacation time, plus time and a half).

 

11 hours ago, Kevin said:

I can't say I blame them, but how productive can someone be working that many hours every week?

Nursing and security posts at 24 hr facilities like prisons and psyche centers are sort of like fire fighters and night watchmen.....that need to be staffed, even when that staff has little or no work to do unless/until a SHTF scenario occurs. Lots of sudoku time.

As for the pandemic responses...they are only touching the tip of the iceberg.  In addition to employees from all kinds of backgrounds were recruited for call center and clerical tasks for DOL to handle the avalanche (20-30x regular case load) of unemployment claims, the test (and now vaccine sites) all over the state each have hundred of people earning OT....plus mileage, lodging and food for the majority on top of OT pay. (as a "reimbursed expense", these do not show up as payroll and are not taxable wages).