The Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority today issues a report with the purpose of comparing overtime spending and staffing challenges in key departments. The report finds that departments with mandated service and staffing levels are more likely to rely on overtime spending to address the operational gaps created by staffing shortages.
In addition to analysis of staffing and overtime trends in several departments, PICA’s Staffing and Overtime Report also draws on the City’s FY2021 Overtime Action Plan process to offer the following recommendations aimed at addressing the overtime and staffing challenges the City currently faces:
- Continue to support recruitment and retention efforts, with particular focus on areas where vacancies drive regular use of overtime to maintain service. These efforts should be regularly monitored for effectiveness.
- Work to adapt shift scheduling and management to reduce overtime spending and improve work/life balance for uniformed employees in particular.
- For departments where staffing shortages drive overtime spending, develop realistic timelines and projections for reducing vacancy rates to a point that would notably reduce overtime spending.
- Continue overtime monitoring and reporting as agreed to in the FY2021 Overtime Report.
Read the full report here