Cases of officers being paid overtime while they were on vacation leave were encountered in an assessment by the National Audit Office at the Ministry for Investment, Industry and Information Technology.
In various control issues reported in the Audit Report 2007, tabled in Parliament, the NAO found that an employee falling within the audit sample working on a reduced time-table with effect from 1 October 2007 was still in receipt of full pay up to end of December 2007.
Two other employees availed themselves of two days sick leave on half pay each but the relative deductions were not made.
Documentation supporting a claim by an employee for 90 hours overtime could not be traced.
There were instances where the overtime hours claimed for payment were different from the hours recorded in attendance sheets. Other computation and the respective payment for overtime hours were incorrect.
Two messengers at the Private Secretariat were signing on the attendance sheet the normal winter departure time (5.15 p.m.) but on the overtime sheet they were signing as if performing overtime from 1.30 p.m.
From amendments carried out with correction fluid on the attendance records by officers at the Private Secretariat, it transpired that the employees were possibly signing both the attendance sheets as well as the overtime sheets for a whole week in advance.
NAO said that the automated attendance recording system in place was not being utilised.
Shortcomings in the attendance sheets included: persistent late attendance; illegible time recorded or time covered with correction fluid; ‘time-out’ recorded in different handwriting than that of ‘time-in’ and ‘time-in’ and ‘time-out’ not recorded at all.
Excessive mobile phone bills
NAO also complained that a Policy Coordinator was excessively exceeding the mobile phone allowance entitlement. During the year under review (December bill was still outstanding), the total expenditure on mobile phone bills incurred by this officer amounted to Lm1,316 (€3,065), as against an entitlement of Lm350 (€815). Excessive expenditure appeared to have been persisting even from previous years, the office said.
The audit office said the management had accepted and adopted most of its recommendations but some issues remained outstanding, including the lack of documentation supporting claims for overtime payments; Certain shortcomings in the attendance records; The inadequate approval for special leave with pay; The excessive mobile phone expenditure by a Policy Coordinator; Observations relating to the full use of office car and the qualification allowance enjoyed by an employee in the minister’s secretariat; and the ‘On Call Allowance’ paid to a messenger.