JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A report released by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) Tuesday showed Jacksonville solid waste employees received thousands of dollars in overtime pay that was "impossible to verify" due to a "pattern" of inconsistent documentation of work hours.
The investigation looked into allegations that solid waste employees were doing maintenance on their personal vehicles during work hours and were then falsely claiming overtime hours that were not worked.
Two employees admitted to working on other employees' personal vehicles while at work, but claimed all the work was done during their breaks. The employees denied that they claimed more overtime than what was worked, and the solid waste superintendent who oversees their work hours, denied that he allowed employees to log time they didn't work.
The report states there was no sufficient witness testimony or records to support the allegations that the employees falsely reported additional overtime that was not worked because of a lack of documentation.
The OIG received additional information during the investigation that suggested two additional solid waste truck drivers also falsely claimed overtime hours.
For reference, solid waste truck drivers are required to fill out drive reports and turn them in to their supervisor, documenting the driver, work crew, date and timeframe of travel and the COJ vehicle number.
The OIG found most of the reports filed between October 2022 and October 2023 were "incomplete or illegible and rarely signed by a supervisor," making it impossible to verify the hours worked by many solid waste employees, not just the ones under investigation.
One of the drivers in question denied falsely claiming overtime pay, while another declined an interview with the OIG.
An OIG review revealed that 15 solid waste employees earned more than $50,000 in overtime pay, with one receiving more than $120,000 between Oct. 1, 2022 and Oct. 31, 2023. Ten of the employees were either solid waste drivers or senior truck drivers.
The OIG provided solid waste recommendations to prevent future documentation issues. These include identifying positions likely to earn significant overtime, developing internal controls to ensure the claimed hours are worked and requiring supervisors to verify hours and maintain accurate records.
The COJ Public Works Department provided the following statement on the investigation:
"We agree with and will implement recommendations identified in the investigation. Solid Waste will prepare a list of personnel likely to earn overtime and distribute direction to staff and supervisors reinforcing the documentation and approvals required to confirm accuracy of timekeeping. Procedures will be established to regularly review timesheets and driver records to ensure compliance"