Is it OK to lie and steal to get something that isn’t yours?
I hope you answered, “No.”
But then, maybe you are part of a public union and stealing from the taxpayers isn’t a big deal to you.
The Toronto Star reported, “Sources told the Star that earlier this year, up to five teachers at one school were let go after calling in sick and spending the day at a Niagara casino. The school’s vice-principal, who reportedly knew of the outing, was also fired, sources say.”
That sounds like a conspiracy, which ramps up the illegality and irresponsibility, it seems to me.
The situation exists and teachers were fired at both the Catholic and Toronto public boards.
The Toronto public board has an investigations unit and says it has, on occasion, hired outside private investigators to look into claims of misconduct, including sick-leave abuse, and that employees have lost their jobs as a result.
School boards say they can’t keep up with the escalating cost of sick days; they add up to tens of millions of dollars.
What sort of violations led to firing?
Teachers on sick leave going on vacations, shopping or to casino days.
One teacher was on leave in Toronto, working at a school in Montreal and campaigning for the federal election.
I would think this might be a case when even a union would say, “We are not going to stand behind theft.”
But, no.
RECOMMENDED VIDEO
The Star reports that the Toronto Elementary Catholic Teachers’ union has called hiring investigators “heavy-handed” and “deeply concerning,”
Nobody is saying sick people should come to work. Pretending to be sick and not coming to work so as to enjoy the day elsewhere costs the system money and that is theft.
It isn’t just the union that fails to see the problem for what it is. When I profiled the issue on X over the weekend, most people supported the school board’s actions, but some did not.
Typical of some people’s feelings was someone calling himself RevDaniel, who is apparently an Anglican priest.
He wrote to me, “If an employee gets a certain number of sick days, then why should it matter whether the employee is physically sick or just needs a mental health day? Spending $ on ‘surveillance’ when schools are already underfunded sounds really stupid as well as creepy and should be illegal.”
I responded, “So you are FOR lying and stealing? Amazing lack of character.”
No response from the Rev.
Lying is also immoral, reverend — read your Bible — as is theft, which is also in the Bible if the reverend cares to look.
Everyone has to call in sick occasionally. Some of us less than others, but in my case — I have not had a sick day in 20 years — I just count it as a blessing that I am healthy and not prone to sickness.
I don’t see the sick days the company allows us as an opportunity, or even a right, to act like the entitled time thieves who have been caught and justifiably fired.
The outrageous theft and ugly self-regard of those who abuse the system have caused companies to limit the number of sick days they allow and demand doctor’s notes.
That is unfortunate for those who really are sick.