A recent report by Comptroller Tom DiNapoli has revealed a 47.2% surge in overtime costs for state agencies in 2022, hitting a new record of $1.36 billion. The sharp increase is largely attributed to the reduction in the state workforce, causing existing employees to work longer hours. DiNapoli emphasized that while overtime can temporarily compensate for staffing shortages, it is not a sustainable solution, and could risk employee burnout.
Overtime expenses now account for a larger proportion of the state’s payroll costs, representing 7.5% of total payroll in 2022, up from an average of 4.6% between 2013 and 2021. The burden of these costs is borne disproportionately by certain departments. The Office for People With Developmental Disabilities, the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and the Office of Mental Health, which constitute 24% of the state’s workforce, accounted for 67.5% of overtime hours.
The report also noted significant increases in overtime at the City University of New York and the Office of Children and Family Service, with hikes of 67% and 40% respectively. Despite these figures, less than 20% of state agency workers received overtime, and only a handful of agencies saw over a quarter of their workforce accrue overtime in 2022.
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