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Board committee hears first monthly overtime report; controller and departments outline monitoring and cap enforcement
Summary
In the first monthly overtime hearing under a new 624-hour cap, controller staff showed July–September data identifying MTA, fire, health, police and sheriff as top overtime users; departments described causes (wildland fire deployments, hiring challenges, special events), notification systems, and limited exemptions while the committee urged prioritizing straight-time hiring when feasible.
The Budget and Finance Committee held its first monthly hearing on overtime use under the recently adopted administrative code amendment that caps individual employees’ overtime at 624 hours per year.
Monique Samuda from the Controller’s Office presented three months of data (July–September) showing the top five overtime-using departments were the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA), Fire, Public Health (DPH), Police, and Sheriff. Samuda said the controller will provide monthly data going forward and that the first quarter is typically the highest overtime period because summer vacations and special events require backfilling.
Human Resources and payroll staff described operational steps to monitor and notify employees approaching the 624‑hour cap. Steve Ponder (DHR) said departments receive reports identifying employees who are close to the cap so supervisors can manage assignments; the system allows limited exemptions for mandatory or specialized work.
Department representatives offered department-specific explanations and mitigation steps. Jan Dempsey, undersheriff representing Sheriff Hennessy, said the department has reduced overtime by hiring and by managing jail population and housing units, but noted monitoring is largely paper-based and implementation is operationally complex. Deputy Chief Gary Masutani (Fire) said a large increase in wildland fire deployments this year added roughly 10,000 overtime hours compared with last year but those deployments are reimbursable and the department expects overtime to flatten over the fiscal year. Kenneth McDonald (SFMTA) and the police CFO described increased hiring classes, scheduling tools, and targeted reporting to manage overtime and distribute work more evenly. Greg Sass (DPH CFO) underscored that DPH’s large size tends to put it on top-5 lists but that overtime as a percentage of salaries is lower than the city average.
Supervisors asked departments to prioritize filling requisite straight-time positions where cost-effective, and requested continued monthly oversight. The committee scheduled another overtime hearing at the chair’s call next month.
