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The following article is provided by the Caesar Rodney Institute, a Delaware-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) public policy research organization.

It comes from a Policy Center Director who works to help Delawareans by providing fact-based analysis in four key areas:

education, energy and environmental policy, the economy and government spending, and health policy.

Delaware DHSS working overtime for taxpayers

The Caesar Rodney Institute has updated its Transparent Delaware website with state payroll and vendor data through 2010. A quick glance at the data shows that there will be a great deal to consider. As a first pass, CRI looked at “overtime” pay and “other” pay in the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services in 2010. (“Other” pay includes more than 100 categories, the most important of which are holiday pay, shift differentials, call back pay, and sick day buyouts.)  While the majority of DHSS employees collect just their salary, 40% received overtime pay in 2010. Of those, 24 employees earned overtime plus other pay that exceeded 100% of their salaries. Among the most hardworking were:                                Salary             Overtime              Other             Total   Ekemoa Wogu                     $57,846            $107,762               $23,876         $189,984 Janet Hiscox                    $53,201           $ 97,527                $ 4,480          $155,208 Rose Spruance                $20,589           $ 31,022                 $12,863         $ 64,475 Annette Draughn                $52,466            $ 59,492                $15,200         $127,158   Another 38 DHSS employees earned overtime and other pay equal to 75% to 99% of their salaries, while 71 employees came in between 50% to 74%, 212 between 25% and 49%, and 531 from 10% to 24%. There could be many explanations for this unusual compensation pattern. Some employees may be working double shifts throughout the year. Overall, DHSS may be understaffed. Perhaps given the generous benefits paid to state employees (over 40% of salary), it saves money to work existing staff overtime. Regardless, the data begs for an explanation. Is there appropriate management oversight for overtime and other pay?  Dr. John E. Stapleford, Director Center for Economic Policy and Analysis  



 
 
 

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About the Caesar Rodney Institute
The Caesar Rodney Institute (CRI) is a Delaware-based, nonprofit 501(c)(3) research organization. As a nonpartisan public policy think tank, CRI provides fact-based analysis in four key areas: education, energy and environmental policy, the economy and government spending, and health policy.

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Our mission is to educate and inform Delawareans-including citizens, legislators, and community leaders-on issues that affect quality of life and opportunity.

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