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SCHENECTADY
Injuries, absences up police overtime
City spent $696K in 2008 to cover shifts
BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter

A police department analysis of the 20 percent increase in overtime last year has found that injuries, vacancies and other absences accounted for the largest piece of the rise in spending.
The city spent $3 million on overtime, $1.1 million more than budgeted and 20 percent more than the previous year even after raises were taken into account.
Of that tab, the city spent $696,000 covering absent officers’ shifts last year, Assistant Chief Michael Seber said. That was by far the largest single expense in the overtime costs. The next largest was $160,000 for detective overtime to investigate last year’s homicides.
    Buried in the $696,000 is a multitude of absences. City officials have known for years that comp time creates a significant overtime problem. A Daily Gazette review found that on certain weekend nights in the summer, as few as five of the 15 regularly scheduled evening officers would come in, with most of the rest claiming last-minute comp time off.
    But only one of the various absences has increased significantly, Seber said. Injuries are much higher than normal — up 5 percent in one year.
    In 2007, each injured officer was out for an average of 45 days. In 2008, that grew an additional week,..........................>>>>................>>>>............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....1&Continuation=1

That sounds like the State/Schools/Feds or anyother 'government/municipal' entity....I'm sure even private businesses have
these issues...but, there is no guaranteed sick pay.....