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Controller Calls for Better Tracking and Review of City Overtime

Posted on 11/07/2019
Wall clock

L.A. Controller Ron Galperin released a report on recent City employee overtime pay trends. His report, “On the Clock: Review of City Employee Overtime,” highlights the City’s overtime spending for sworn and civilian employees (excluding the Department of Water and Power, which uses a separate payroll system), and identifies the top earners by department and job classification. Over the past five years, City employees have received more than $2 billion in overtime.

Overtime is a critical tool to help the City serve Angelenos and protect communities from crime, emergencies and natural disasters — like the recent Getty Fire when hundreds of firefighters and other first responders worked around the clock to keep residents and properties safe. Galperin concluded that, although most overtime payments complied with existing policies and procedures, the City needs better oversight to prevent employee burnout and ensure the efficient use of public dollars. 

The full report is available at lacontroller.org/overtime.

Follow L.A. Controller Ron Galperin at @LAController on TwitterFacebook and Instagram.