Allegations Concerning Waste and Mismanagement in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' New York Regional Office

GAO was asked to review the adequacy of the Department of Labor's investigation into allegations of waste and mismanagement in the New York Regional Office of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The allegations were investigated by the national BLS office and the New York office of the inspector general. Their reports concluded that none of the allegations could be substantiated.

Based on interviews with the investigators, working papers, correspondence, and other documents, GAO believes that Labor's investigation of the allegations was adequate. In some cases investigators did not fully pursue an allegation because they satisfied themselves through other means that it was unfounded. For example, a review of office policies and procedures for leave and attendance was used to investigate allegations of leave and attendance irregularities. These policies and procedures were found adequate and, therefore, the investigators did not attempt to fully reconstruct individual work schedules.