MBTA to release data showing improved employee performance

The MBTA will release new data showing that employees’ overtime rates and absenteeism declined during the first two months of 2016, which led to 37 percent fewer dropped trips for weekday rail service.

The MBTA’s new report, set to be presented during Wednesday’s Fiscal and Management Control Board meeting, showed the benefits of a new leave and attendance policy that was instituted in January, according to an MBTA release from Chief Administrator Brian Shortsleeve.

“This is a positive sign that the new leave policy is having an effect,” Shortsleeve was quoted in the release.

According to the report, overtime expenses were down 54 percent compared to the same period last year, and year-to-date overtime hours had decreased by 52 percent, the MTBA said.

“We’re looking at overtime every day and every week,” Shortsleeve said in the release, which added that bus and train operator absenteeism was down 29 percent, translating to a 40 percent reduction in dropped bus trips and 37 percent fewer dropped weekday rail trips.

The new leave policy mandated that MBTA employees run their accrued paid leave and personal and vacation days concurrently with days under the Family and Medical Leave Act, the MBTA reported.

“We want to do better, and we’re going to continue to cut it down,” Shortsleeve said, discussing the T’s overtime, absenteeism and dropped trip rate.