LIMERICK City and County Council is drafting a new policy to regulate overtime payments after a review of payroll costs by the Local Government Audit Service (LGAS) found that almost €4.5 million was paid in overtime in 2020.
The auditors raised concern about the cost of “significant levels” of overtime being worked by council staff which resulted in 80 employees being paid more than €20,000 each for the year in overtime.
443 council staff, about a third of the workforce, were paid a total of €4.45m in overtime in 2020, representing an average payment of €10,045 for the year.
Commenting on overtime payments by Limerick City and County Council, LGAS said there was no approved overtime policy in place at the local authority.
The audit also identified instances of non-compliance with the EU Working Time Directive, which limits staff generally to working a maximum of 48 hours per week.
The LGAS found there was an absence of documented monitoring procedures in place for overtime worked by council staff.
In particular cases, it found local arrangements were being used to calculate overtime rates to be paid for personnel working for the fire brigade.
The spending watchdog called on Limerick City and County Council to set out a specific timeframe for carrying out a review of its overtime costs. It said the council needs to implement an action plan and formalise an approved overtime policy.
In response to queries from the Irish Examiner, Council chief executive, Pat Daly, said a new overtime circular was issued last July for staff up to administration officer grade. A separate guidance document in relation to outdoor grades was issued the following month.
He confirmed that a new overtime policy was being drafted by the council.
The chief executive said the issue of non-compliance with working hours had resulted in a training seminar being organised for senior staff last November.
In reply to the lack of documented monitoring of overtime, Dr Daly said all overtime had to be approved by the relevant line manager.
He added that the issue was regularly addressed by senior engineers and their staff but stressed that formal procedural requirements for the management of overtime would be addressed as part of the new policy.
