CT Audit Finds $10K In Unapproved OT At Department of Aging

by Viktoria Sundqvist CTNewsJunkie

HARTFORD, CT — The Connecticut Department of Aging and Disability Services paid out more than $10,000 in unapproved overtime to an exempt employee, a recent audit has found. 

The audit, covering fiscal years 2023 and 2024, also noted that the department paid out 83 hours of overtime for four different employees that had not been approved by the commissioner and that seven employees incorrectly charged holiday time on non-holidays for 85 hours. 

Department policy requires employees to submit overtime request forms and receive prior approval from the commissioner, auditors said. Supervisors or managers must also identify the need for overtime on the form. Exempt employees getting overtime requires approval by the Office of Policy and Management. 

Lack of internal control over overtime requests was a repeat issue from prior audits, officials said.

In their audit response, department officials said they took immediate action after the prior audit to strengthen internal controls to ensure supervisors and the commissioner pre-approve overtime requests, but that the recently audited period covered some time before the corrective action had been implemented.

Auditors noted that the agency immediately corrected the coding for holiday pay upon notification of the error. Agency officials said they have also implemented an additional layer of review, conducting periodic spot checks on timesheet coding, particularly around holidays, to identify and correct errors before payroll is finalized.

Auditors also highlighted the department’s “weak internal controls over asset management,” including documentation to determine if seven assets totaling $51,674 had been properly disposed of. The report also noted missing or incorrectly coded assets. 

The agency said it is working on correcting discrepancies and updating missing or incorrect asset information, but that it sometimes buys equipment and property for client use that should not be included in the agency’s inventory. The department is planning to review asset policies and doing a full review of assets by June 30, 2026, officials said in the audit response. 

“ADS is committed to improving our internal controls and ensuring full compliance with the State Property Control Manual,” officials said. 

The Department of Aging and Disability Services provides services to the deaf and hearing impaired, the blind and visually impaired, older adults and rehabilitation services. Its mission is to maximize independence and wellbeing opportunities for older adults and people with disabilities.