Step 1 for U.S. Government improvement: Show up for work

MC.no.spin · 08-22-08, 03:23 AM

Quote:

August 21, 2008

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK) released a report today detailing the rapid growth in the annual number of hours federal employees are found to be absent without leave (AWOL) from their jobs. Since 2001, 18 federal departments and agencies reported that employees have been AWOL for at least 19.6 million hours when they should have otherwise been working.

The investigation found that annual AWOL hours have increased gradually since 2001, climbing from approximately 2.5 million hours per year to 3.5 million hours in 2007. The disturbing findings of this report are an example of inefficiencies in the federal government that would not be tolerated in private companies.

...

Quick Facts from the Report:

• Since 2001, federal employees at 18 departments and agencies were absent without leave (AWOL) at least 19.6 million hours.

• Annual AWOL hours in 2007 were 45% higher than in 2001.

• Since 2001, nearly 300,000 federal employees have been AWOL for some period of time.

• Since 2001, the government has lost at least 9,410 years of work from AWOL employees.

• Employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs were AWOL 19 times more often than employees at the Department of Defense.

• The Departments of Veterans Affairs and the Treasury – the two worst offenders – accounted for 61% of all AWOL hours between 2001-2007.

• Between 2001 and 2007, 13 of 18 agencies either saw an increase in annual AWOL totals or remained at approximately the same level as before, despite overall decreases in the aggregate number of employees.

.: United States Senator Tom Coburn :: Press Room :.

You couldn't get away with this kind of nonsense in the private sector. This is our dime, that's the difference.

With "management" as fiscally irresponsible as this, it's no wonder why our deficit is what it is. Not showing up for work is a symptom of something far worse: not caring about your job. There needs to be more oversight, and people need to start losing their jobs. That's just for starters.

shuamort · 08-22-08, 08:11 AM

I think one of the worst parts is the unionization of the government employee. There should be no need for that.

Iriemon · 08-22-08, 08:27 AM

Good point. Seen the AWOL rates in the military lately?

kamino · 08-24-08, 03:47 PM

When I run for office I will be taking very few days off. I will work for you!

chevydriver1123 · 08-24-08, 09:45 PM

Congress should only get two weeks of vacation like the rest of us.

RightinNYC · 08-24-08, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chevydriver1123

Congress should only get two weeks of vacation like the rest of us.

This isn't Congress going AWOL, it's Joe and Jane Dumbass down at the DMV.

Government employees are by and large lazy. Who knew?

UtahBill · 08-25-08, 09:05 AM

There is more....many of them, while at work, are working on personal projects, or using their computers for their "side jobs". I know architects and structural engineers who work at a state college who do just that....
Years ago we had a friend who worked as a civilian employee for the military, and she lived far enough away that it was a toll call, so she only called my wife while she was at work, to save on her personal phone bill.
Sailors on shore duty like to take long liquid lunches at titty bars on fridays, and often fail to come back to work. I used to cover for them, taking the duty along with one other sailor, until the officer found out and put a stop to it. How dare he violate tradition?

And I suppose the rest of us, when we cheat on our taxes, would fall under an entirely different category?
Almost every one of us has some sort of "ethics challenge".....

Befuddled_Stoner · 08-25-08, 11:53 PM

How can government possibly improve if these schmucks are showing up more often? I would think that things could only get better if they showed up less, preferably that they go away and never come back.

lincoln · 08-26-08, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chevydriver1123

Congress should only get two weeks of vacation like the rest of us.

They could only work 2 weeks in a year and still be just as effective.

jfuh · 08-27-08, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RightinNYC

This isn't Congress going AWOL, it's Joe and Jane Dumbass down at the DMV.

Government employees are by and large lazy. Who knew?

This is about Joe and Jane dumbass and the exact reason as to why people associate government with being unefficient.
But this goes to all large businesses be they governmental or private.
Just look at the down turn of the big three, private businesses going down the ****hole.
We can demonize the large organizations such a unions for their demise - in many instances (99.999999999% of the time) this is true, but like government failing it is a direct reflection of us.
I blame such in the fact that few people today take pride or responsibility in their work. We grown into a culture of the disposable economy. It doesn't matter that the car assembled was utter crap because the owner will get rid of it anyway within a fixed time, hence why bother building it with high quality? The guy getting his registration for his car is still going to be bitching about the length of time it took to get it so why bother improving the customer service, it's going to be automated later anyway and then I'm going to be out of a job.
Turn over to Japan, every employee takes great responsibility and pride in the work they do, from even the largest bridge construction down to the smallest detail of their signature - reason of why they produce such high quality electronics and cars; it's also the reason why we produced some of the best quality goods with the highest innovation ever during the golden years of the 50's and 60's.