A new report from the King County Auditor finds that county agencies repeatedly did not make payments in lieu of benefits that were owed to employees. From the executive summary:
King County agencies owe payments in lieu of benefits to temporary employees who meet certain criteria, but agencies did not pay more than one-third of employees eligible in 2020, in violation of county code. After the Department of Human Resources (DHR) conducted an annual review to find missed payments, 34 confirmed and likely eligible employees still had not received “back-benefits,” which had a median value of $5,800 per person. Incomplete recordkeeping, a lack of verification, and unreliable data tools contributed to these outcomes. We recommend that DHR ensure all eligible employees receive correct payments by keeping complete records, improving data reliability, and proactively informing employees about eligibility.
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