The Office of the Metro Auditor recently completed an audit of Metro's payroll and benefits programs entitled Payroll and Benefits: Greater coordination can improve processes. The purpose of the audit was to evaluate business processes to determine if payroll was completed accurately and if employee benefits were managed strategically to address service quality and rising costs.
Auditors reviewed payroll and benefit processes specifically and assessed coordination across departmental lines. For the most part, payroll information was accurate; however, there was a lack of coordination to optimize the process. Metro also lacked adequate information to manage the quality and costs of employee benefits. The audit recommended Metro assign leadership for the payroll and benefits processes. Once assigned, Metro should clarify roles and responsibilities to improve coordination of the system.
"Payroll and benefits processes impact every Metro employee, department and program," Metro Auditor Suzanne Flynn said. "Effective delivery of these processes requires a well designed system that is coordinated between several departments."
Auditor Flynn noted that Metro has been very responsive to the audit and took measures to improve payroll and benefits processes prior to the audit's completion.
Copies of the audit may also be obtained by calling the Office of the Metro Auditor at 503-797-1892. The Metro Auditor will brief the Metro Council on September 9.