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Audit Reports

May
21
2015
Report Number:
HR-AR-15-006
Report Type:
Audit Reports
Category: Human Resources

Unscheduled Leave in the Chicago District

Background

Unscheduled leave is any absence from work that is not requested or approved in advance and could require management to replace experienced employees, resulting in additional workhours or overtime. This could negatively impact workplace productivity and morale.

The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (OIG) monitors unscheduled leave using the Human Resources Risk Model, which identifies risks that could impact employee morale, productivity, efficiency, and costs. During the last 3 quarters of fiscal year (FY) 2014, the Chicago District was identified as having the highest percentage of unscheduled leave, ranging from 13.5 to 17.3 percent, compared to other districts, with ranges from 5.3 to 10.1 percent. Our objective was to assess unscheduled leave activity in the Chicago District and identify opportunities to reduce it.

What The OIG Found

District management did not effectively oversee unscheduled leave, which led to 635 of 7,804 employees (8 percent) using 344,121 of 737,787 unscheduled leave hours (47 percent). These employees averaged 542 hours compared to the remaining 7,169 employees, averaging 55 hours of leave. We referred these employees to the OIG’s Office of Investigations for further review.

At three sites we visited, representing 185 of the 635 employees (29 percent), 40 of 60 supervisors (67 percent) did not receive training on the Enterprise Resource Management System — the Postal Service’s leave management system — and 32 (53 percent) did not receive training on leave controls. In addition, supervisors did not consistently use the system to monitor unscheduled leave use. Further, district officials did not have an oversight process to review the management of unscheduled leave activity. Finally, district Labor Relations personnel did not review leave management, as required.

Reducing the group of 635 employees’ average individual leave usage of 542 hours, to the remaining employees’ average leave usage of 55 hours, would reduce about 309,000 of the 737,787 total unscheduled leave hours (42 percent). This represents about $3.3 million that could be used more efficiently in FY 2014.

What The OIG Recommended

We recommended management train supervisors and provide guidelines on the Enterprise Resource Management System and leave control. We also recommended management establish processes to ensure reviews of employees’ attendances and leave management are completed. 

 

Report Recommendations

# Recommendation Status Value Management Response OIG Response USPS Proposed Resolution
1

R - 1 -- Provide Enterprise Resource Management System and leave control training to managers and supervisors.

Closed $0 Agree
2

R - 2 -- Develop and implement consistent guidelines to ensure supervisors use the Enterprise Resource Management System to effectively manage unscheduled leave.

Closed $0 Agree
3

R - 3 -- Establish an oversight process to ensure managers and supervisors complete employee attendance reviews; Postal Service (PS) Form 3971, Request for or Notification of Absence, and PS Form 3972, Absence Analysis, and other required supporting documentation are completed, timely reviewed and maintained.

Closed $0 Agree
4

R - 4 -- Establish an oversight process to ensure Labor Relations personnel perform leave management reviews, as required.

Closed $0 Agree