Federal workers watch 'Star Trek' on clock

washingtontimes.com ^ | April 10, 2014

[Bender2]

Federal workers watch 'Star Trek' on clock
By Jim McElhatton
Thursday, April 10, 2014

Exploring new frontiers in time and attendance fraud, a group of federal employees and contractors spent one day last summer at a local restaurant followed by an afternoon watching the latest “Star Trek” movie — all at taxpayers’ expense.

--SNIP--

The afternoon was all on government time. But once they learned they were being investigated, the employees went back and changed their attendance records to take personal leave.

Overall, about $3,500 reflecting the cost of staff time for lunch and the movie was returned to the government.

NOAA spokesman John Leslie said the agency holds “employees and contractors to the highest ethical standards.”

[relictele]

I agree, but they still set my teeth on edge with stunts like this:

In a location to remain secret for now, our offices were in the same building as the IRS.

The IRS people, long before Michelle Obama, received some directive to exercise at some point during the day. So they began walking laps in the parking lot. Unfortunately, those bureaucrats reverted to type and took the easy way out...they walked VERY slowly, many of them chain-smoked, and others simply went outside and sat on the curb and chatted away for an hour. Eventually this ‘exercise’ lasted several hours per day if the weather was pleasant.

You definitely didn’t want to be in front of the main doors at 3:30 pm as they cleared out of there as if someone had phoned in a bomb threat.

Given their sordid history, I too would much rather have the IRS off the job but it still was highly annoying toiling away to pay their salaries while we watched them skiving every day.

I know someone else in federal employ in a different agency in a different state. He toted two mobile phones around as if he were important. After taking a golf trip with him, I realized the phones served two purposes: one, to gossip about sexual encounters among office personnel, nearly all of them involving married persons i.e. adultery, and two, to plan, purchase and execute...Friday barbecues on the closed, guarded office campus.

[Bender2]

Re: As far as I’m concerned all federal employees can spend their days watching movies, we’ll have a much better country for it

Yeah! Since they are probably members in good standing of the Service Employees International Union, they should be... smoking and drinking on the job!

[bolobaby]

As VP in a company, I took my employees to see the new Star Trek movie “on the clock.” It was a morale exercise.

I’m not opposed to ANY organization having a morale boosting activity once in a while. It actually boosts productivity over the long run.

[matt04]

You beat me to it.

[wbill]

I’m not opposed to ANY organization having a morale boosting activity once in a while.

Yep.

I think that my problem - though, I wasn't the least bit shocked by it - it's that they lied and tried to cover up when they were caught.

[shove_it]

Where can I get one of those clocks that shows movies on them?

[hoagy62]

For a PRIVATE organization, that is no problem whatsoever. They are free to do whatever the want. It’s not MY money they’re spending.

If you work for a GOVERNMENT AGENCY...ANY government agency...then it’s just not appropriate to be spending taxpayer dollars to goof off.

(Of course, I realize that 70% of government would have to be SHUT DOWN if we went by that rule...)

[Sybeck1]

I am ok with Kirk, but hell no to that Frenchie Picard.

[Bender2]

Re: Android Andrea (Sherry Jackson)

Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... mmmmmmmmmmmmm--

Sherry was certainly the hottest babe on "Star Trek" and at 72 today, she's... pretty damn hot!

BTW Short version of very, very long story... Was on short visit to LA in August/September of 1966 trying to get a guy I slightly knew via friend of a friend of a friend on the "Star Trek: TOS" staff to allow me to pitch a story idea to Roddenberry and was on set the day Sherry and Shatner shot the scene where he rejects her kiss and she blows him away in "What Are Little Girls Made Of?" I was way back in a dark corner and she was still white hot looking! Did not get to make my pitch nor meet her, Shat or The Great Bird of the Galaxy, but I will go to my grave remembering how good looking Sherry Jackson was in person even if from a distance!

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nsqU6lSdPuk/Tfc36xcr0jI/AAAAAAAACKw/PDNE4y6o8yg/s1600/SherryJackson_01.jpg

[GOPsterinMA]

WB with the viciousness of 1,000 crack-addicted Pit Bulls.

[Buckeye McFrog]

I take this as a plus.

Every hour they are watching Star Trek is one hour less
they are thinking of new ways to reach into my wallet or impinge upon my freedom.

[Bender2]

Re: WB with the viciousness of 1,000 crack-addicted Pit Bulls.

Ah yes, Sherry Jackson! I recall her... most fondly--

[GOPsterinMA]

I wonder if Shatner, intergalactic space stud, partook?

[Army Air Corps]

My train of thought derailed thanks to that post.

[Thunder90]

Perhaps Rick Santorum was right on this...

[Bender2]

Re: I wonder if Shatner, intergalactic space stud, partook?

I am sure he wished he did, however, in 1966 Sherry was 24, Shat was 35 and sported... a toupee--

My hope is that he didn't because if she didn't go for me when I was a hot looking 19... and there (even if it was way back in a corner) I would be crushed if she preferred him over me!

[bolobaby]

It’s called a “productivity enhancer” or a “workplace motivator.” Used judiciously, it actually means your money is spent more wisely. The government is no different than any other workplace on what helps motivate. Why do you think soldiers get USO shows? Is that goofing off? (I’m an ex-infantryman, so I understand that the military is different.)

Question: Are you in management? Do you have any experience with the impact these types of activities can have?

(Although, I will say, the fact they lied about it is pretty crappy. It does sound like they were goofing off more than doing something smart in the workplace.)

Regardless, I’m not opposed to *reasonable* use of effective management techniques and productivity multipliers in the federal workforce. To be so black-and-white is actually a *misuse* of federal dollars.

[GOPsterinMA]

Gadzooks! Look at you, like a fresh doe in a meadow.

[GOPsterinMA]

Fawn, not doe. Whatever a young make deer is called.

[GOPJ]

It’s probably a good idea. Watching Star Trek keeps them from spending time making the rest of us miserable. I’d rather pay them to watch TV then to come up with new ‘dictates’ for the ‘little people’....