Following an audit, the state’s Insurance Department says it will tighten its oversight of employees’ sick-day usage.
State auditors who analyzed a 25-employee sample of the department’s payroll records determined that 18 had sick-day patterns that appeared questionable. Three had taken a combined 62 sick days in their final six months before retirement. Another took 12 sick days, all attached to weekends and holidays.
Using parking garage access card records, auditors found that another had been arriving late and leaving early. That employee made restitution of $388 in May, the audit said.
The department said in the audit that it will take random samples of garage access records on a quarterly basis to ensure employees are working the hours they claim.
Fund for aggrieved consumers never tapped
Auditors also found that the DOI’s brokered transactions guaranty fund, which was created by state law to compensate consumers aggrieved by fraud or other transgressions committed by agents and brokers — hasn’t made a single payout in 17 years.
The fund is required to have a $500,000 balance, which is paid for through license fees on insurers.
But DOI said the fund hasn’t been necessary because it has helped negotiate settlements between insurers and customers.
As a result, the ongoing fees from insurers have been deposited into the state’s general fund. Over the past five years, transfers of those fees to the general fund have amounted to $777,000, the audit said.
Image credit: freedigitalphotos.net
DOWNLOAD PDFs
