Jared Garcia, executive director of the Utah Department of Corrections, said the department has changed its overtime cap from 84 to 80 hours and tightened application of the sick-leave policy because of budget limits and shifting priorities for limited funds.

Garcia said the change reflected a choice between paying ongoing overtime and advancing the department’s compensation plan for certified staff. "We really just have ran out of money," he said, adding that the department chose to "move the pay plan forward so people could enjoy that daily earning every single day towards their pension, while we continue to evaluate overtime and our budget and how we can implement better long term strategies for overtime."

Why it matters: The overtime cap and sick-leave clarifications affect staffing coverage, pay, and day-to-day scheduling for correctional officers and other staff. Garcia described the decision as budget-driven rather than disciplinary, saying vacancy savings that had previously covered overtime were no longer sufficient.

Leaders also emphasized that the policy is not intended to punish legitimate illness. "If you're sick or your spouse is sick or your kids are sick, your significant other and you need to stay home, then absolutely please stay home. We don't want you to come to to work sick," Garcia said. At the same time, leadership said they will investigate patterns that appear to be abuse of leave.

Department officials discussed operational effects observed during the listening tour. Garcia said some facilities previously saw 30–40 unscheduled call-offs on some days; those call-outs have "dropped drastically" in some locations, including several days with zero unscheduled call-offs. He framed the change as seeking a middle ground: accommodate genuine illness while reducing excessive unscheduled absences that harm peers and increase costs for overtime coverage.

The department said it will continue to evaluate overtime funding and long-term strategies, and that supervisors should work with staff to arrange needed time off. No changes to statute or external rules were cited; the measures described are internal department policy adjustments.