MassDOT employees – Six Massachusetts Department of Transportation employees resigned while facing imminent termination proceedings tied to alleged overtime fraud, MassDOT officials said. The resignations follow a monthslong investigation that found patterns of overtime pay at a
Six MassDOT employees walked out after internal action began—resigning while termination proceedings for alleged overtime fraud were already in motion.
MassDOT officials said the employees resigned recently while facing “imminent termination proceedings” related to the allegations. The agency said the employees had been suspended without pay and were scheduled to appear at disciplinary hearings to determine whether they should be terminated for cause.
In a statement. a MassDOT spokesperson said six employees resigned “while facing imminent termination proceedings related to allegations of overtime fraud.” The spokesperson also said the resignations did not disrupt MassDOT’s ongoing investigation or any “potential action” by other authorities. The agency said its records will reflect that the employees “unilaterally resigned in lieu of discharge proceedings.”.
The spokesperson declined to name the employees who resigned. “The employees are no longer employed by the Commonwealth, are not eligible for employment, and MassDOT remains committed to protecting taxpayer dollars and holding individuals accountable for misconduct,” the statement said.
The resignations come after a monthslong investigation found an alleged pattern of overtime fraud at a MassDOT facility in Charlestown. MassDOT leaders opened an investigation after the report was published and placed seven employees on administrative leave.
The initial investigation by Boston 25 focused on Highway Maintenance Worker II employees. Some of those employees made more than $100,000 in overtime last year, the report said. One worker with a base annual salary of $84,000 increased his pay to $240,000 last year. Another employee with a base salary of $91,000 ended up making $228,000, according to the report.
Reporters staked out the Charlestown facility. recording when employees left and comparing that information to timesheets obtained through a public records request. The investigation found a pattern in which certain employees allegedly clocked long back-to-back shifts that generated substantial overtime pay. even as they appeared to leave early in their personal vehicles.
MassDOT said it is working to identify and take back any dollars obtained through deception. The spokesperson said the agency is “pursuing all available avenues to recover any improperly obtained compensation” and will “seek all remedies available under law.”
Taken together, the departures and the disciplinary posture underscore how quickly the scrutiny moved once the overtime allegations became public. While the internal process may not continue against those who resigned. MassDOT said it will still seek recovery of improperly obtained compensation and pursue what it can through the legal and administrative channels available to it.
MassDOT overtime fraud resignations Charlestown facility disciplinary hearings administrative leave Massachusetts news