Blogs, Linn County Crossroads
How much overtime is too much overtime?
Posted on Oct 08, 2009 by Adam Belz.
The Linn County Sheriff's Office in southwest Cedar Rapids. Photo taken Thursday, Mar 17, 2005. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Been working with Dawn Jindrich, the county budget director, on math that’s too complicated for me, but here’s our conclusion:
Paying overtime is, in general, cheaper than hiring new deputies.
The average deputy makes $23.70 per hour. Overtime pay would then be $35.55 per hour. Annual benefits for a deputy cost $13,550.
Since each deputy is paid for 2,080 hours of work each year, regular time, the question is whether the cost of those hours at a rate of $23.70 (plus $13,550) is less than the cost of 2,080 hours of overtime. The answer is yes.
2,080 hours overtime = $73,944
2,080 hours regular time plus benefits = $62,846
But there’s a catch.
Deputies actually only work about 1,650 hours of regular time each year, when vacation, sick leave, training hours and holidays are taken into account, yet the county must pay for 2,080 hours of work. Most jobs — public or private — work this way, and for the sheriff’s office, it means replacing a full-time deputy’s worth of overtime with a new deputy working regular hours results in a net loss for the county. It’s cheaper to pay overtime:
1,650 hours overtime (the amount of regular hours a deputy would actually work) = $58,657
2,080 hours regular time plus benefits = $62,846
I’d love to hear what readers think of this. I might be missing something, and I’d be glad to admit it if it’s the case.
And finally, for all you Sheriff’s Office loyalists out there (caveman1, Sheriff Brian Gardner), I should make this point: regular hours are less flexible than overtime hours, so it’s not easy for the county to take away a certain number of overtime hours and replace them cleanly with regular hours. Scheduling is more messy than that.
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taznar
08. Oct, 2009
The only concern I have with overtime hours is how much each individual gets. Too many hours of work a week can lead to mistakes… mistakes that can't be "paid" for.
adambelz
08. Oct, 2009
That's the point that Supervisor Brent Oleson makes, taznar.
"There's some things you can't quantify like how alert these deputies are," Oleson said. "You've got to wonder how efficient they are."
malinari
08. Oct, 2009
has anyone talked with deputies about the overtime? it would help to know what they think of it as they would be the ones to tell you weather they are working to much overtime? i have some sugestions but bear in mind i have little knowledge about the workings of the sheriffs department, that being said here we go, part time or reserve officers handling more or other duties or maybe working with local police, thats all i got for now. thank you adam for giving my mind something to do tonite:)
OwenHarper
08. Oct, 2009
The idea that it costs more to hire a full time person than to make up the hours worked using overtime is pretty much accepted throughout industry. There isn't a big difference between the two numbers you have presented, in the neighborhood of $4,000.00 and that isn't the only consideration.
Hiring a full time worker is a long term financial commitment and looking at the cost over a single year is not looking at the entire story. Simply put, it is easier and less costly to reduce the number of overtime than to reduce an employee's hours or lay them off and the true cost per employee is difficult to express in averages as you have done.
OwenHarper
08. Oct, 2009
The idea that it costs more to hire a full time person than to make up the hours worked using overtime is pretty much accepted throughout industry. There isn't a big difference between the two numbers you have presented, in the neighborhood of $4,000.00 and that isn't the only consideration.
Hiring a full time worker is a long term financial commitment and looking at the cost over a single year is not looking at the entire story. Simply put, it is easier and less costly to reduce the number of overtime hours than to reduce an employee's hours below the standard 40 hour week or lay them off. And the true cost per employee is difficult to express in averages as you have done.
caveman1
09. Oct, 2009
Adam, I commend you for following through with this story and doing the required research. My entire point was that this should have been done before the original story was posted online. I am glad you took the time to gather this information. It is very useful! Thank you. I am not a loyalist, by the way, but I will stand up for issues that arent being presented properly. Our public perception of our county and city leaders are developed largely by how you portray them in your journalism, so of all people I believe it is imperitive for you to remain impartial and present ALL of the facts by doing the required research on the topic and not take the word of one or two people that may or may not have the correct information.
adambelz
09. Oct, 2009
Your points are well taken, caveman1. I would only say that it will more and more be the case that readers will participate in the way you have, so the initial story often may not be completely comprehensive, and it might take a few swings to answer all the questions people raise. Thanks for joining in.
caveman1
09. Oct, 2009
I would be curious to know how many people that read an online article actually read the comments. The problem is if they read the first post then dont read comments or ever read the follow up story then they are left with incorrect information and they form their opinions based off of that. Posting initial information is fine if you are reporting a traffic accident or something like that, but not when you are dealing with emotional hot button issues.
JoelDMiller
09. Oct, 2009
No one has answered the original question.
How much overtime per week is too much? Is it 10 hours, 20, 30, or 40 hours? Nine county employees have worked more than 250 hours of overtime in the first 13 weeks of the fiscal year. On average that’s 19.23 hours per week. The “winner” worked 568 regular hours and 546.5 overtime hours, which is an average of 85.73 hours per week.
Which is best practice: Use existing employees and consistently work overtime to fill staffing needs OR have enough employees on-hand and occasionally have them work overtime?
Based upon the above data, it appears using existing employees and working consistent overtime is the best financial solution. If that’s the case, should it be adopted county-wide? If not, why not?
The forty-hour work week was adopted many decades ago for a variety of reasons. Are we ready to say that the 40 hour work week should apply to everyone except those in public safety? What is our responsibility as an employer?
sbergus
10. Oct, 2009
I look at it more of a frequency issue. Working an 80-90 hour week occasionally is fine with me, but being able to plan on working 80-90 hours every week is not. I apply this reasoning down to 60 hours. If the deputies are working 60 hours a week regularly, and have no complaints about the schedule, I have no problem with it.
I also think we also need to know what these overtime hours are being spent on. I am more comfortable with the overtime being spent on administrative paper work than active duty, where fatigue can have a higher price.
cc1091
13. Oct, 2009
Anything over 5 hours of overtime a week means that you're avoiding things at home. If you're a single parent, then you had better have some good support for your kids, because even 1 hour of overtime really puts the family in a crunch.
In my opinion, anything over 50 hours of work a week is ridiculous and unsustainable.