DHS components remain inconsistent in their controls over administratively uncontrollable overtime, which cost the department $512 million in fiscal 2013 and $255 million through the first six months of fiscal 2014, GAO has said.
The department suffers from “widespread AUO administration and oversight deficiencies. For example, components have not consistently reviewed hours claimed and employee eligibility for AUO,” said the report, the latest in a series from GAO and the Office of Special Counsel. AUO pay is overtime of up to 25 percent of base pay for time a law enforcement officer remains on the job when, in his or her personal judgment, the demands of the job require it.
In response to the earlier investigations, including congressional hearings, DHS in early 2014 suspended AUO for certain employees and required components to submit plans to address deficiencies. Most DHS components have done that but departmental monitoring “is too general and infrequent to effectively monitor or evaluate DHS components’ progress,” GAO said.
Another response to the investigations was recent passage of a bill to require Border Patrol agents, who account for the large majority of AUO pay, to choose work schedules of 80, 90 or 100 hours biweekly, with prorated pay increases for the latter two, and end that AUO pay for them (they would get compensatory time off for time worked beyond their regular schedules). However, that change won’t take effect until OPM finalizes implementing rules, which could be many months away.
About 29,000 DHS employees received AUO pay in 2013 with the average payment per employee increased about $17,000, up from about $13,000 in 2008, GAO said.
The report is here: http://www.gao.gov/assets/670/667617.pdf
