Originally Posted by
chollie
Sorry, but I don't have much sympathy for TSOs faking being sick.
1) You're almost certain to get all of your back pay when the shutdown is over. Ford and GMC employees who were laid off just weeks before the holidays don't have that to look forward to.
2) I've been in a job where I was classified as 'essential'. I knew exactly what it meant. There were people who refused to accept an 'essential' position because they didn't want to or couldn't handle a possible, even if unlikely, situation where they couldn't take discretionary time off or where they might get a delayed paycheck. Don't like the constraints of being an 'essential' worker, find another job.
3) I would really like to hear how many of the other essential government workers currently not getting a paycheck are skipping work. . If nothing out of the ordinary is going on at TSA, then there is no reason for that agency's absenteeism rates should be any higher than at any other essential agency. If it is higher, I would suggest poor or AWOL management is at fault. It seems to me that TSA's best defense against this 'fake news' would be to release figures showing us that its absenteeism rate is well within normal range. The fact that TSA could so easily refute this 'rumor' but chooses not to do so makes me disinclined to believe them.
Does anyone know how this alleged vicious 'rumor' got started?
On 1) above - to clarify, the
excepted employees (those who must continue to work during the shutdown) are 100% guaranteed to receive pay when funding is finally approved. The government incurs an obligation by accepting the benefit of those employees' services and is legally bound to pay them; the government cannot accept voluntary services other than in limited circumstances. (Not that it would suck any less to keep coming to work when your paycheck is in limbo - especially this time when one side of the shutdown standoff seems OK with letting it drag on indefinitely.)
Non-excepted employees (those who aren't required to work and are furloughed instead) aren't guaranteed backpay but most likely will receive it based on past shutdown history.