Report 2009-608 Recommendations

To make certain that patients and consumers are provided with an adequate level of care, and that the health and safety of the employees, patients, and consumers are protected, Mental Health and Developmental Services should encourage Personnel Administration—which is responsible for negotiating labor agreements with employee bargaining units—to include provisions in future collective agreements to cap the number of voluntary overtime hours an employee can work and/or to require the departments to ensure that overtime hours are distributed more evenly among staff. One solution would be to give volunteers who have worked the least amount of overtime preference over volunteers who already have worked significant amounts of overtime.

To ensure that the State is maximizing the use of funds spent on patients and consumers, Mental Health and Developmental Services should encourage Personnel Administration to resist the inclusion of provisions in agreements that permit any type of leave to be counted as time worked for the purpose of computing overtime compensation.

To make certain that patients and consumers are provided with an adequate level of care, and that the health and safety of the employees, patients, and consumers are protected, Mental Health and Developmental Services should encourage Personnel Administration—which is responsible for negotiating labor agreements with employee bargaining units—to include provisions in future collective agreements to cap the number of voluntary overtime hours an employee can work and/or to require the departments to ensure that overtime hours are distributed more evenly among staff. One solution would be to give volunteers who have worked the least amount of overtime preference over volunteers who already have worked significant amounts of overtime.

To ensure that all overtime hours worked are necessary, and to protect the health and safety of its employees and patients, Mental Health should implement the Legislative Analyst's suggestion of hiring an independent consultant to evaluate the current staffing model for Mental Health's hospitals. The staffing levels at Mental Health should then be adjusted, depending on the outcome of the consultant's evaluation.

To ensure that the State is maximizing the use of funds spent on patients and consumers, Mental Health and Developmental Services should encourage Personnel Administration to resist the inclusion of provisions in agreements that permit any type of leave to be counted as time worked for the purpose of computing overtime compensation.

To improve internal controls over payroll processing Napa should research the overtime over and underpayments we noted and make whatever payments or collections necessary to compensate their employees accurately for overtime earned.

To improve internal controls over payroll processing Sonoma should research the overtime over and underpayments we noted and make whatever payments or collections necessary to compensate their employees accurately for overtime earned.

To improve internal controls over payroll processing Napa should review, revise, and follow procedures to ensure that their overtime documentation is completed properly; that timekeeping staff are aware of the overtime provisions of the various laws, regulations, and bargaining unit agreements; and that staff who work overtime are paid the correct amount.

To improve internal controls over payroll processing Sonoma should review, revise, and follow procedures to ensure that their overtime documentation is completed properly; that timekeeping staff are aware of the overtime provisions of the various laws, regulations, and bargaining unit agreements; and that staff who work overtime are paid the correct amount.

To improve internal controls over payroll processing Mental Health should fully implement Finances recommendations cited in its report on Mental Healths internal controls dated December 2007.