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Superman works for Government - Smelly carpet forces worker to put in inhuman hours
Published: Wednesday | June 3, 2009
Edmond Campbell, Senior Staff Reporter
Members of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday were stunned after being told by an executive of the [COLOR=orange !important][COLOR=orange !important]Tax[/COLOR][/COLOR] Administration Services Department (TASD) that an [COLOR=orange !important][COLOR=orange !important]employee[/COLOR][/COLOR] worked 22 hours each day, consecutively for nearly two weeks.
This would convert to 286 hours over a 13-day period.
Committee members were visibly annoyed when the auditor general first pointed out that the man had submitted a claim for working 24 hours successively for 13 days.
Members left dumbstruck
But what left the committee members dumbstruck was the revelation that the employee was paid $50,886 after his claim was checked and approved by the accounts department.
"Nobody can do that, so we need proper justification. You can't just take out two hours out of the 24 and leave 22 for 13 days; it is impossible," committee member Everald Warmington said.
He argued that it was an insult to the committee for the TASD to provide such an explanation.
His colleague, Andrew Gallimore, was sarcastic, contending that if a person were given a job to sleep 22 hours for 13 days, he could not accomplish it.
Commissioner of the TASD, Grace Rookwood, told the PAC that her department made a bad decision in allowing the employee to work for such an extended period.
At least one committee member labelled the employee "superman", noting that he had accomplished a "marathon workathon".
Plans to [COLOR=orange !important][COLOR=orange !important]tile[/COLOR][/COLOR] office
Giving details, Rookwood said a leaking [COLOR=orange !important][COLOR=orange !important]roof[/COLOR][/COLOR] of a building housing the Tax Registration Number offices in downtown Kingston, which was rented by the TASD from the Urban Development [COLOR=orange !important][COLOR=orange !important]Corporation[/COLOR][/COLOR], prompted the department to change out the carpets which were soaked whenever it rained.
"Those carpets were in a deplorable state causing a smell, which was making people ill," she said, noting that plans were made to tile the office.
According to the TASD executive, the work had to be done after normal working hours and at weekends. She added that a representative of the department had to stay at the office to secure sensitive documents.
"He would leave at 5 a.m., go home and refresh himself, eat something and return for his normal duties," she explained.
She said an error was made and the hours the employee worked were adjusted from 24 to 22 hours daily over the period.
She told the committee that in future no similar arrangements would be put in place. "They are inhuman and unreasonable," she added. edmond.campbell@gleanerjm.com
Published: Wednesday | June 3, 2009
Edmond Campbell, Senior Staff Reporter
Members of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday were stunned after being told by an executive of the [COLOR=orange !important][COLOR=orange !important]Tax[/COLOR][/COLOR] Administration Services Department (TASD) that an [COLOR=orange !important][COLOR=orange !important]employee[/COLOR][/COLOR] worked 22 hours each day, consecutively for nearly two weeks.
This would convert to 286 hours over a 13-day period.
Committee members were visibly annoyed when the auditor general first pointed out that the man had submitted a claim for working 24 hours successively for 13 days.
Members left dumbstruck
But what left the committee members dumbstruck was the revelation that the employee was paid $50,886 after his claim was checked and approved by the accounts department.
"Nobody can do that, so we need proper justification. You can't just take out two hours out of the 24 and leave 22 for 13 days; it is impossible," committee member Everald Warmington said.
He argued that it was an insult to the committee for the TASD to provide such an explanation.
His colleague, Andrew Gallimore, was sarcastic, contending that if a person were given a job to sleep 22 hours for 13 days, he could not accomplish it.
Commissioner of the TASD, Grace Rookwood, told the PAC that her department made a bad decision in allowing the employee to work for such an extended period.
At least one committee member labelled the employee "superman", noting that he had accomplished a "marathon workathon".
Plans to [COLOR=orange !important][COLOR=orange !important]tile[/COLOR][/COLOR] office
Giving details, Rookwood said a leaking [COLOR=orange !important][COLOR=orange !important]roof[/COLOR][/COLOR] of a building housing the Tax Registration Number offices in downtown Kingston, which was rented by the TASD from the Urban Development [COLOR=orange !important][COLOR=orange !important]Corporation[/COLOR][/COLOR], prompted the department to change out the carpets which were soaked whenever it rained.
"Those carpets were in a deplorable state causing a smell, which was making people ill," she said, noting that plans were made to tile the office.
According to the TASD executive, the work had to be done after normal working hours and at weekends. She added that a representative of the department had to stay at the office to secure sensitive documents.
"He would leave at 5 a.m., go home and refresh himself, eat something and return for his normal duties," she explained.
She said an error was made and the hours the employee worked were adjusted from 24 to 22 hours daily over the period.
She told the committee that in future no similar arrangements would be put in place. "They are inhuman and unreasonable," she added. edmond.campbell@gleanerjm.com
Most people, myself included, caan even work 8 hours x 5 days
you a joke yuh know how much security deh pon site fi days
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