WFPS Overtime Audit - Final Report

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Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service Overtime and Sick Leave Audit May 2009 Leaders in building public trust in civic government Table of Contents Executive Summary............................................................................................................ 3 Mandate of the City Auditor............................................................................................... 5 Audit Background............................................................................................................... 5 Audit Objectives.. 5 Audit Approach................................................................................................................... 5 Audit Scope......................................................................................................................... 6 Audit Conclusions...............................................................................................................6 Acknowledgement 7 Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service Background.................................................................. 8 Fire Paramedic Organizational Structure........................................................................ 8 Overtime Drivers ............................................................................................................ 8 e Process 9 Key Risks for Overtime ............................... ...

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• Publié par: Musog
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• Langue: English

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                          Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service Overtime and Sick Leave Audit   May 2009  

                        Leaders in building public trust in civic government

                              

 

Table of Contents

    Executive Summary............................................................................................................3  Mandate of the City Auditor ............................................................................................... 5 Audit Background...............................................................................................................5  Audit Objectives ................................................................................................................. 5 Audit Approach................................................................................................................... 5 Audit Scope......................................................................................................................... 6 Audit Conclusions............................................................................................................... 6 Acknowledgement .............................................................................................................. 7 Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service Background .................................................................. 8 Fire Paramedic Organizational Structure........................................................................ 8 Overtime Drivers ............................................................................................................ 8 Overtime Process ............................................................................................................ 9 Key Risks for Overtime ...................................................................................................... 9 Trend Analysis 2004-2008................................................................................................ 10 Department Analysis..................................................................................................... 10 Fire Services.................................................................................................................. 13 EMS Services................................................................................................................ 14 Communications Centre Services ................................................................................. 15 Observations and Recommendations ................................................................................ 16 Does the WFPS have an appropriate minimum staff complement? ............................. 16 Does the WFPS have an appropriate staffing ratio? ..................................................... 18 Does the WFPS have adequate processes in place to manage sick leave? ................... 19 Is maintenance of the minimum staff complement at risk due to retiring staff? .......... 21 Is there a relationship between the occurrence of sick leave and retirements? ............ 22 Are the Information systems secure and do they provide timely and relevant information on overtime to management? .................................................................... 23 Appendix 1 - Audit Process .............................................................................................. 26 Appendix 2 - Statistics Canada NOC-S Classifications ................................................... 27 Appendix 3 – Service Overtime Analysis......................................................................... 28 Appendix 4 – NFPA Standards......................................................................................... 29 Appendix 5 – Summary OfRecommendations ................................................................ 30  

 

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complement, taking into account E XECUTIVE S UMMARY   absences arising from annual leave, training, maternity leave and sick leave.  If the proper staffing ratio has not be The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service  determined, either overtime will  en (WFPS) provides critical services to the citizens of this City.  These services  c m o i n ni si m st u e m n   tl c y o  b m e p   l r e e m qu e i n r t e   d o   r to e   x fil c l  e t s h s e i   ve  include the detection, suppression and extinguishment of fires, pre-hospital  s s a u l r a p r l y u   s co p s o t s s i   ti w o il n l  s b . e incurred for staffing  paramedic care and transport services. Regardless of the level of demand at  The next section discusses the trends any given point in time, a constant  we observed through our statistical minimum staffing level is required to  analysis of data provided by the WFPS. ensure that the desired service level to the public can be met.    s D e u v ri e n r g a   l t  i h n e f   o r r e m vi a e ti w o , n     w s e y   s e t n e c m o s u  l n i t m e i r t e at d i   ons   where we were unable to obtain An audit of overtime in the Emergency Services Departments was included in  c c o o m m p p l l e e t t e e     i a n n fo a r ly m si a s ti   o of n     t t h o e     p t e h r r f e o e r   m m  a a   in  the City Auditor’s 2007-2009 Audit Plan. This is the second of two audits; the first  s ot e h rv e i r c  p e  e b r r fo a r n m ch a e n s c   e s   t i a n f d fi i ng a   t l o e r v s  e o ls f    t o h r e     of  was a review of overtime incurred by the  c Winnipeg Police Service.  D m e a p d a e r   t r m ec e o nt m ’s m  o e p n e d r a a t t i i o o n n s s   . i   n  W th e  e h  r a e v p e o   rt    The objectives of this audit were  t q h u a a t l   i s ty h   o a u n l d d     a h v el a p il   a to b   il s it tr y  e o n f  g i t n h f e or n  m th at e i   on.      ƒ to examine the causes of the trends in the WFPS overtime costs in the Trend Analysis: 2004 to 2008 past five years, and  We observed that there has been ƒ to  fluctuation in the amount of  evaluate the governance and  considerable management frameworks and  overtime hours worked and resulting practices relative to the control of  dollars paid. Overtime wages were overtime. $1.375 million in 2005 and then jumped to $2.999 million by 2007. In 2008,   The 2008 overtime expenditures of the  overtime wages dropped to $1.436 WFPS totaled approximately $1.4  million. million, which represented about 11% of all overtime paid to City of Winnipeg  We compared the level of overtime employees. The 2007 overtime  worked and sick leave taken by WFPS expenditure, in contrast, was nearly $3  staff to national averages compiled by million, representing 21% of all overtime  Statistics Canada. We observed that the payments to City employees.  average overtime worked for   Communications Centre staff does The requirement for overtime is driven  exceed the average for Canada. We by two main staffing factors: (1)  also found that the highest level of maintaining the minimum complement,  overtime worked by individual EMS staff and (2) the staffing ratio. The minimum  members does exceed the national complement is the minimum number of  average and that the highest of overtime staff required to be on a shift at any  worked by Communications Centre staff given point in time. The staffing ratio is  is significantly higher. The average sick the number of employees that are  leave usage by the WFPS was required to maintain the minimum  consistently below the national rates, Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service Overtime and Sick Leave Audit 3  

 

with the exception of theKey Recommendations h C i o gh m  l m ev u e n l i s c   a o t f i   o o n v s e   r C ti e m n e tr   e n   o i t n e  2 d  0 f 0 or 6   .  s   o T m he e     The WFPS has an opportunity to  improve the quality of performance EMS and Communications Centre staff  information gathered and reported. The m m a a y d   e b   e a     c re a c u o s m e f m o e r  n c d o a n ti c o e n r   n l   a a t n er d     in w  t e h  h e  ave  WFPS does report on actual  performance results such as response report to address this issue.  times; however, except for Fire, results  are not reported against a target leaving o W v e e   r t ti h m en e    i e n x   a Fi m r i e n ,  e E d  M th S e     a r n e d a   s th o e n   s for  one unable to evaluate whether the  Communications Centre separately.  response times are meeting Overtime for Fire increased significantly  expectations for the service. in 2006 and 2007. We attempted to obtain information on staffing trends  e W n e h   a h n a c v e e     p m e a rf d o e r   m re a c n o c m e i m nf e o n r d m at a i t o io n n s     t t h o  at  (platoon staff size, minimum  will enable the WFPS to determine if the complement, number of staff on duty, number of staff called-in, number of staff  a m r i e n   i a m p u pr m o  c pr o ia m t p e l  i e n m  t e h n e t     c a u n rr d e  s n t t a   f o fi p n e g r   a r t a i t n i g o     scheduled for annual leave and  environment and in the future. These training); however, information system limitations prevented us from obtaining  two issues are key drivers of overtime that information. Anecdotally, WFPS  t a r n e d n   d t   h i e n   fo W r F m P at S i   o r n e   q to u   ir m e a s  n b a e g tt e e   r o   p st e a r f a fi ti n o g n   s management believes that attempts to  . meet vacancy management and budget  We evaluated a sample of staff that targets in Fire resulted in a shortage of  were off for an extended sick leave staff during that time period. We do  absence and determined that note, in 2008, overtime decreased to its  approximately 50% had inadequate lowest level in our period of review. Both EMS and the Communications Centre  medical documentation on file. This experienced modest fluctuations in  t p r a a y ns m la e t n e t d s    i t n o     2 o 0 v 0 er 7     $ a 3 lo 7 n 1, e 0 .  0 W 0  e i   n  m s a ic d k e  l   eave  overtime. The absence of supporting  recommendations to improve the daily staffing trend information again limited our ability to perform a proper  process to ensure sick leave absences analysis.  r a e re s   p p o r n o s p i e b r il l i y ti   e s s u   p b p e o t r w te e d e   n a   n W d  F t P o  S c   l a ar n if d y  t  t h h e e      Occupational Safety and Health branch. Overall, the decrease in overtime in 2008 is a positive sign, but a lack of supporting information to explain the  Further enhancement of WFPS fluctuations in overtime leaves us  information systems will greatly improve unable to fully explain the trends. We do  t p h r e o   a q c u ti a v li e t   y  m o o f  n i i n t f o o r r in m g a   t o i f o   n o   v a e n rt d i   m al e l   o a w n  f d or  note that from the information we were able to review, the causes for overtime  sick leave. Changes will also free up appeared reasonable with the main  internal resources to perform more reason being to maintain the minimum  value-added analyses. complement. We did observe the  The WFPS has the opportunity to opportunity to improve some supporting  improve control systems regarding the processes that should lead to a decline in overtime levels. We also believe that  I u m se pl   e of m  o e v n e ti rt n i g m  o e  u a r  n r d e   c s o ic m k  m le e a n v d e a .  tions will  the WFPS has the ability to improve the  help to ensure that all allocated availability of information regarding  resources are used effectively and overtime. The next section highlights some of our key recommendations.  efficiently.   Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service Overtime and Sick Leave Audit 4  

 

M ANDATE OF THE C ITY Services Overtime was included in the A 2007-2009 Audit Plan. This is the UDITOR   second of two audits; the first was an  audit of overtime incurred by the The City Auditor is a statutory officer  Winnipeg Police Service.   appointed by City Council under theCity of Winnipeg Charter Act. The City A UDIT O BJECTIVES   Auditor reports to Council through the Audit Committee (Executive Policy   The objectives of this audit were: Committee) and is independent of the ’ Public S City s ervice. The City Auditor ƒTo examine the causes of the trends   conducts examinations of the operations of the and its affiliated bodies to  in the WFPS overtime costs in the assist  C C i o ty uncil in its governance role of  past five years.  ƒ To evaluate the governance and ensur Public Service’s accou i n n t g a  t b h ili e t   y for the quality of  management frameworks and  stewardship over public funds and for  practices relative to the control of the achievement of value for money in  overtime. City operations. Once an audit report     has been communicated to Council, it becomes a public document. A UDIT A PPROACH       A DIT B ACKGROUND   We have conducted the audit in U accordance with generally accepted auditing standards.Appendix 1     provides a flowchart of the audit The mandate for the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) includes the  process. detection, suppression and extinguishment of fires, pre-hospital • temid chCei,fD pe he  Fire and Para  tthwis ewviernti detcudnoc eW  paramedic care and transport services.   Chief of Operations, Manager o u f  y  A constant minimum staffing level is  Finance and Administration a d required to ensure that the desired  n service level to the public is met.    a H n u  u m n a d n e   r R s e ta s n o d u i r n c g e   s o   f  M th a e n   a W ge F r P  t S o  ,  g t a h i e n       The 2008 overtime expenditures of the  r p e o l l a ic ti i n e g s     t a o n  o d  v p e r r o ti c m e e d   u a r n e d s     t i h n  e p   l o a v c e e r   time  WFPS totaled approximately $1.4 million, which represented about 11% of  monitoring process. all overtime paid to City of Winnipeg • We obtained and reviewed data and employees. The 2007 overtime  statistical information from the expenditure, in contrast, was nearly $3  WFPS Manager of Finance and million, representing 21% of all overtime  Administration and the Human payments to City employees in that  Resources Assistant. year. The prior level of overtime • We obtained and reviewed statistical expense gave reason for concern on  information from Corporate Support whether the WFPS was operating within  Services related to overtime costs the optimal range for overtime.  and hours, sick leave costs and hours, and staffing levels.   Due to the proportion of City spending • We gained an understanding the for overtime in emergency services  role of the nurse dedicated to WFPS departments, an audit of Emergency Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service Overtime and Sick Leave Audit 5  

 

with the Occupational Health Branch. • We reviewed related industry reports, policies, standards, procedures and other relevant background documentation relating to the WFPS in general. • the conclusion of the audit, we At provided a report to the Chief of Fire and Paramedic Services, the Deputy Chief of Operations, the Chief Administrative Officer and Council.   The conclusions in our report are based upon information available at the time. In the event that significant information is brought to our attention after completion of the audit, we reserve the right to amend the conclusions reached.   A UDIT S COPE     The scope of our audit covered the period January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2008, which is the five complete years before the date of our report. We believe that this scope affords us the ability to analyze trends in overtime without a pervasive risk of losing context in the examination of too short a period that may be affected by specific short- term circumstances.   We have undertaken appropriate procedures in an attempt to verify the accuracy of the information we were provided. At various times during the review, due to information system limitations, we were unable to obtain information to support our analyses.   The scope of the review was expanded to include a review of sick leave trends and management controls, due to the fact that sick leave is largely an uncontrollable factor that impacts overtime levels.  

In theObservations and Recommendationssection of the report, we have made recommendations to improve the management and quality of human resource related information available to WFPS management.   A UDIT C ONCLUSIONS     The audit work performed led us to the following conclusions: • 2006 and 2007 operating The years had abnormally high overtime costs for the WFPS. We believe that increases to the minimum complement coupled with an inadequate staffing ratio, for that time period, may have contributed to the increased overtime. • the period of review the Over WFPS has improved the monitoring of overtime levels. However, the information systems require enhancement to provide management with enhanced information on staffing trends and retirements to effectively continue to control overtime. The WFPS must also improve the monitoring of sick leave as it is factor that contributes to overtime levels.

 

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