TOPICS
TOPICS
Unexcused employee absences on the rise, senator says
Federal employees increasingly are not showing up for work, according to a new congressional report.
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., released a report Thursday showing that the number of hours that agencies reported their employees were absent from work without taking leave increased from approximately 2.5 million hours per year in 2001 to 3.5 million hours in 2007.
"Everyone knows that rule number one for any job is showing up," Coburn said. "No private company would put up with its employees refusing to show up for work, let alone watch the problem grow year after year."
Since 2001, nearly 300,000 federal employees have been AWOL for some period of time, Coburn reported.
Coburn has taken an interest in employee absences without leave since late 2006. He asked 19 agencies to report on employee absences, and 18 responded. One, the State Department, said it did not track such absences. Several others provided incomplete data.
The Veterans Affairs and the Treasury departments accounted for more than 60 percent of all AWOL hours between 2001 and 2007.
Agency practices on whether and when to charge employees as being absent without leave vary fairly widely. At one agency, the report found, being late by as little as 15 minutes can result in an employee being characterized as AWOL.
Coburn's report did not track whether or not employees were denied pay for the hours they did not work.
COMMENTS
- I have worked as a DOD civilian for 23 longgggggggggggggg years but I now have seen the other side of the coin. I was diagnosed with BiPolar in 2004 and PTSD. I know that this government we work for are NOT caring at all. They have been after me since 18 Dec 07--and finally this Friday my two year wait is going to happen. I got a bogus 5 day suspension this week..without pay.....good luck everybody..... Pattie Posted August 19, 2009 1:40 AM
- According to the Washington Post, Coburn was AWOL for 1.2% of the roll-call votes last year. Unfortunately, we don't know how much time is represented here. He's at the low end of this statistic in the Senate, but I don't see him taking on his golf buddies. He's also been an incredible obstructionist - nicknamed Dr. No - holding up important work in the Senate. But his continued use of raw statistical data to capture headlines and attention at the expense of federal employees, reveals his opportunism and dishonesty. Coburn is a right-wing hack. Jimbo Posted August 28, 2008 8:50 AM
- There is a difference between AWOL and LWOP. LWOP is what should be used if you are out of leave...you are absent with permission, but are not being paid. AWOL is absent without permission, and should only happen once or twice before the employee is terminated. I am amazed at the number of employees in my shop with 20-25 years experience and single digit leave balances. No, we have not had any disasters in this area. As soon as they get a day of sick leave on the books, they "don't feel well"...then when they really get sick, they have their hand out wanting leave donations. scoutldr Posted August 28, 2008 7:40 AM
