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They refer to education for making incorrect payments on private payroll during emergencies

They refer to education for making incorrect payments on private payroll during emergencies

Virtual Education DepartmentRecently, incorrect and overpayments have been issued on special payrolls paid to employees during the emergencies caused by the 2020 earthquakes and the COVID-19 pandemic.as identified in a report by the Puerto Rico Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

The government in the years 2020 to 2021 approved various regulations to apply assistance payments to public sector employees, for hours worked in excess of the normal day after each of the emergency events, mostly with federal funds and aid.

As a result, management has proposed learning about the work and exposure level of all employees, during the COVID-19 emergency, and created an incentive program known as “Premium Pay,” using federal funds. These allowed incentives of up to $7,000 per employee.

According to OIG’s analysis, education paid special rewards despite the fact that it did not establish formal criteria for eligibility and payment for this incentive. Thus, unaccounted payments of at least $117,892 related to Paycheck Premium assistance have been sent due to the pandemic.

On the other hand, an examination of the special HED (disaster overtime) payroll, for the 2020 earthquakes concept, revealed that Education made at least six improper payments of approximately $17,576, by failing to make overtime record paperwork in addition to normal hours worked in the event of a special event or emergency (overtime record) for an emergency.

The Office of the Inspector General also identified serious deficiencies in the department’s controls and assistance record. As part of the findings, it was established that in the assessment of time and attendance sheets, 11 employees in positions of trust received a curfew bonus for the period from March 15 to April 12, 2020, but proper authorization or evidence that they were working during the said period is lacking.

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Through testimony issued on March 25, 2022, it was reported that, at a meeting on December 2, 2020, in the office of then-secretary Eligio Hernandez Pérez, trusted employees were verbally instructed to be included on file for payment. of bonus, with 20 working days.

Therefore, the Office of the Inspector General asked the Department to develop a corrective action plan aimed at recovering the overpaid funds. In addition, a term is specified for the DE to implement a reliable attendance record system that allows the correct calculation of hours worked by the employee, as this may cause other payroll-related losses in excess of the days worked by the employee. employee.

The report has been published on the website www.oig.pr.gov. If you have information about irregularities in the use of public funds, as well as actions that could constitute corruption, you may contact OIG at confidential line 787-679-7979 or by email at [email protected].