State overtime

While state budgets are understandably tight, there are some situations that merit spending an extra dollar. One such situation was highlighted last week.

Last Monday The Associated Press reported that some state employees working in the Missouri Department of Mental Health have been working a tremendous amount of overtime, some working double shifts for weeks at a time without a day off.

A report by then State Auditor Susan Montee said the department, over the past three years, has paid $48 million in overtime. Much of the overtime has been attributed to employees working in habilitation centers for the developmentally disabled or the state mental health hospital.

The department recently said they are looking to adopt policies limiting overtime as well as determining whether it would be financially advisable to hire additional staff members.

Financially advisable or not, the department should put its foot down on this egregious oversight. Regardless of the position, employers should not knowingly allow their employees to work an unreasonable amount of overtime. Furthermore, many of the employees working overtime were working in positions that affect patient care.

There is a time and a place for overtime, but when overtime becomes excessive or could potentially affect the health and safety of others, a change must be made.