The Office of the State Comptroller failed to adequately enforce state policies on employee sick time and also awarded maximum pay raises to managers without conducting performance reviews, according to an audit of fiscal years 2008 through 2010.
Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman was state comptroller for the audited period.
Auditors found that 65 employees used 200 hours or more of sick leave time during those three years. A review of 20 of them found that eight may have abused sick leave by taking sick leave around weekends, holidays or vacations.
Despite the fact that division managers receive quarterly reports of any employee with three or more absences, managers failed to follow up or require medical certificates proving the employees who took leave were actually sick, the audit said.
The agency also awarded maximum pay raises to five managers, despite the fact that they hadn’t been evaluated under the state’s Performance Assessment and Review System (PARS), which helps determine raises.
The lack of review means the manager may not have qualified for the increase.
Auditors also found that seven union employees had not had reviews in one to 12 years. Of the seven, four received maximum raises during the audited period.
The comptroller’s office said in a response to the audit that it would remind managers of sick leave and salary increase policies. It also said it has since strengthened internal controls around performance assessments.
CORRECTION:Â A previous version of this article incorrectly stated by Kevin Lembo was comptroller for a portion of the audit period.
