Background
The Time and Attendance Collection System (TACS) is the primary application for collection of Postal Service employee time and attendance data. As of September 2021, the Postal Service had 653,167 employees, including more than 17,000 supervisors, who were compensated based on time entered in TACS. Supervisors are generally categorized as special exempt employees according to the Fair Labor Standards Act. Special exempt employees do not receive overtime but are eligible for extra straight time pay for extra hours worked.
What We Did
Our objective was to determine whether supervisors’ workhours were accurately recorded and to determine whether supervisors performed timekeeping duties in accordance with policy. For this audit, we statistically sampled 213 supervisor timecard adjustments that occurred between April 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022. We also conducted site visits to 10 judgmentally selected facilities and interviewed 72 supervisors.
What We Found
Opportunities exist for the Postal Service to improve the accuracy of supervisors’ recorded workhours. We found issues with incomplete documentation for timecard adjustments and supervisors who worked extra time that was not recorded in TACS. Specifically, managers did not always properly document adjustments made to supervisor timecards. Also, while most supervisors stated they had recorded all their hours, 43 percent of the supervisors we interviewed stated that they worked extra time that they had not recorded.
Recommendations
We recommended management reiterate proper timekeeping procedures to management and emphasize the requirement for all supervisors to adhere to their work schedules and record all hours including extra hours worked.