City overtime costs

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In the last three years, Hamilton city workers have racked up more than $43 million in overtime and councillors want to put a stop to it.

“If the work is necessary and is scheduled for essential services I can understand that but if it’s only being used because there’s a culture of entitlement then I have a problem with that.” Councillor Sam Merulla.

In 2016 city staff earned $13.9 million in overtime, 2015 that number was $15.2 million in 2014 $14.5 million dollars. The problem is city staff don’t have a break down of what overtime is essential and what is not.

“We don’t have a corporate level data to mark our overtime as planned or not planned, back filling or absence compared to water main break or emergency service call.” Zachary Nichol, City of Hamilton.

The Public Works department has accrued the most overtime making up 70% of it and nearly 30% of that is the transit department, mostly bus drivers.

City staff have been asked to come back to council as soon as possible with more of an overtime breakdown between essential services and non-essential services, without going into overtime.