Controller’s report finds lack of oversight of library maintenance workers

A report released today by Philadelphia City Controller Alan Butkovitz finds a lack of oversight for Free Library maintenance workers that provides “significant opportunities existed for maintenance employees to fraudulently report their work locations as well as their work time.”

Crediting an investigation by Fox29, Butkovitz says he found no established time standards or policies for assigning work projects.

“These conditions created opportunities for Library maintenance employees to abuse and waste time at work – as well as possibly commit fraud by working privately at the same time they were getting paid by the city,” the report states.

 

Butkovitz’s office used a test date to follow a painter who reported having worked 14.5 hours at two different locations, despite being seen for more than three hours at his home. The Library has no system for documenting whether the work gets completed.