Re: Removal for absences

What will they think of next. Has our government came down that low. I'm sure if we could, sickness would not come to any of us. Americans, what are they thinking when you dismiss someone over something we have NO control over.

Re: Disturbing

Only in the Federal Government do you employees who feel they have a right to be gone for extended periods of time. You don't see this kind of situation in the private sector.

Re: Disturbing

LERS from the DoD...I hope you never get sick.

Re: Disturbing

Talk about kicking someone while they are down. I can't believe they would even set a precedent like that. What happens if someone gets long term cancer or wants to have children and run into complications. I guess the will put them on an iceberg and push them out to sea, next.

It's good that she can file for disability but what is she supposed to do for money and benefits in the meantime and for the long haul, especially if she is to sick to fight for herself. This situation seems to be a good reason to add short and long term disability insurance as an option into our Federal benefits and improve FMLA as whole.

Re: Disturbing

DoT Engineer,

My point isn't about getting sick, but rather the agency’s right to have a job done. We are hired to complete some kind of task that is required by the employer. If someone is going to be gone 60% of the time in a year, does not the employer have an obligation to the tax payer to make sure its mission gets done? Is it the federal government’s obligation or mission to provide welfare by keeping your job open indefinitely, when there is no reasonable expectation that you will be able to return to work?

If you were working for Boeing, what would be your job expectations if you were gone 60% of the time? Does Boeing have an obligation to keep your job open?

Re: Removal of employee

Admittedly, I have not read the entire decision yet, but could the Agency not have accommodated this employee by allowing telecommuting? In this age of technology it is possible to conduct nearly all work of an administrative nature remotely.

Re: Bad dose of reality

Buddy, I rashly came to the same conclusion, and I've got only 28 years in HR. However, if what rang our respective bells was sloppy writing, and in fact the employee LACKED sufficient sick leave, that's a whole 'nother case, I imagine you'll agree.

Re: Bad dose of reality

It would seem to me if the "powers that be" created/included some kind of disability insureance into our FEHB, then that could cover an employee's salary and costs of living while maintaing their benefits. This would free up the agencies to hire a temp without having to pay two salaries.

In other words, the agencies could hire a temp and pay for the temp's salary. The the burden of the sick employee's salary would be taken care of through the FEHB desginated disability insurance that they signed up for and paid into (until when or if they were able to return to work). Someone should research the feasibility of doing this especially since they are talking about trying to send civilians to IRAQ. What would happen if a civilian got hurt while in Iraq or a similar situation that caused a long medical absense? Worker's Comp or the ICEBERG mentioned above?

No wonder the gov is having a hard time recruiting. If we wanted to get treated like crap, we would stay in the private sector.

Re: Bad dose of reality

in my opinion, if an agency can keep a spot open for people who go off and play military for a year, then they should be able to accomodate people who are sick often, any way you look at it we are working short handed. by the way I am x military.