Ghost workers can easily be weeded out
EDITOR: I was shocked to read that over 300 ghost workers had been discovered on Mulago Hospital payroll. The problem of ghost staff has also previously been reported in other Government departments.
EDITOR: I was shocked to read that over 300 ghost workers had been discovered on Mulago Hospital payroll. The problem of ghost staff has also previously been reported in other Government departments.
Amazingly, information about these ghosts is obtained from the organzations' records mantained and kept by employed officers! Ghost workers can cause losses to an organization in billions of shillings.
Each ghost staff has to earn a monthly salary, get meeting and medical allowance, paid while on maternity leave and perhaps facilitated for losing a relative. This money is not actually paid to the ghost. It is paid to some unethical staff who connive to inflate staffing lists and deliberately refuse to audit the payroll.
Human resource managers managing the payroll could be the first culprits because they get information about employees' departure before it occurs. They process this information and communicate it to other departments.
It is this information that is kept and managed for future use. At the end of the month, the auditors have to audit the payroll for salary payments, basing on the information provided by the payroll manager.
Identifying and eliminating ghost workers from an organization is simple. Stick to the core values of the organization and listen to your conscience while choosing which information to record and keep.
Share that information with all the relevant departments and junior staff so that it can be be used even when you are out of office. As an accounting officer, demand comprehensive quarterly reports from the human resource manager.
Make sure you do not just acknowledge these reports. Read them comprehensively and ask for clarification for what is not clear to you. While signing salary cheques at the end of the month, be alert. Read thoroughly before you append a signature on any document.
The names of staff who leave the organization must be publicised. Make sure that files of staff who leave the organization are closed as soon as possible.
Everest Turyahikayo
Kampala
Amazingly, information about these ghosts is obtained from the organzations' records mantained and kept by employed officers! Ghost workers can cause losses to an organization in billions of shillings.
Each ghost staff has to earn a monthly salary, get meeting and medical allowance, paid while on maternity leave and perhaps facilitated for losing a relative. This money is not actually paid to the ghost. It is paid to some unethical staff who connive to inflate staffing lists and deliberately refuse to audit the payroll.
Human resource managers managing the payroll could be the first culprits because they get information about employees' departure before it occurs. They process this information and communicate it to other departments.
It is this information that is kept and managed for future use. At the end of the month, the auditors have to audit the payroll for salary payments, basing on the information provided by the payroll manager.
Identifying and eliminating ghost workers from an organization is simple. Stick to the core values of the organization and listen to your conscience while choosing which information to record and keep.
Share that information with all the relevant departments and junior staff so that it can be be used even when you are out of office. As an accounting officer, demand comprehensive quarterly reports from the human resource manager.
Make sure you do not just acknowledge these reports. Read them comprehensively and ask for clarification for what is not clear to you. While signing salary cheques at the end of the month, be alert. Read thoroughly before you append a signature on any document.
The names of staff who leave the organization must be publicised. Make sure that files of staff who leave the organization are closed as soon as possible.
Everest Turyahikayo
Kampala