Boston city workers cash in millions on buybacks

Boston Herald ^ | February 11, 2010 | Joe Dwinell

[EBH]

A cash-starved Boston dished out a staggering $17 million last year to more than 3,600 city workers for their unused sick and vacation days in a pricey perk that stands in sharp contrast to impending layoffs and threatened cutbacks in crucial services.

Three retiring municipal employees raked in more than $100,000 each for their unused time off, a Herald payroll analysis shows, while another 300 staffers pocketed tens of thousands in buybacks on top of their salaries.

[EBH]

And how is this any different than what the Great Leader rails about bonuses?

Give it back.

[lowbridge]

bump

[neodad]

I heard on the radio about bus drivers in Wisconsin (I think) that make over $150,000 a year. $50,000 in base (which is still too much) and $100,000 in overtime. Of course, union contracts all. And people wonder why we have deficits...

[Leisler]

Two weeks vacation. 21 sick days a year. One three day weekend every month, and of course all federal, state holidays, plus personal development days.

[neodad]

Here it is: http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt_and_politics/article_24af32d4-13f4-11df-86b2-001cc4c002e0.html

[FrankR]

"A cash-starved Boston dished out a staggering $17 million last year to more than 3,600 city workers for their unused sick and vacation days..."

Most places I've worked would let you carry over some leftover time for two or three months into the new year, but that was it. Otherwise, it was USE IT, or LOSE IT.

For taxpayers to have to finance such municipal gravy trains is ridiculous.

All cities in the USA seem to be following closely behind Detroit and San Francisco/California. All of this madness will stop soon, as obama kills all the jobs the taxpayer "funding" will dry up...that's the part liberals don't understand about how socialism won't work.

[Diogenesis]

Sweet. Lets them max out their pension at the peak.

[sefarkas]

Unused vacation days are actually earned already. The time spent on the job instead of on vacation was likely at straight time, whereas if they did the same amount of time in addition to taking vacation, the extra time on the job would have been at a premium. One problem with unused vacation time is that when finally paid, it is paid at the current salary/hourly-rate rather than the rate it was earned at. Compensating unused sick time — that seems to be a stretch especially when the amount of sick time for government employees is relatively generous compared to corporate employees. Real contract workers only get paid for actual billable hours and take vacation/sick at their own risk. For those folks, seeing someone get paid for just being alive is hard to swallow.

[a fool in paradise]

People scoffed when I told them years ago that Houston had bus drivers earning 6-figure salaries.

[mom4melody]

I’m a federal employee - I get 13 sick days a year, vacation @ 6 hours every payday based on my length of service, and 10 federal holidays.

When I worked for Procter & Gamble I had 5 weeks vacation, 14 holidays, and pretty much unlimited sick days if I didn’t go crazy.

P&G outsourced my entire department, part to Costa Rico, and part to 2 other US companies. I was on child care leave and got a “see ya” package.

Facts are wonderful things.

[Leisler]

Massachusetts state workers.

Reading comprehension is a wonderful thing.

[mom4melody]

Well crap, I’m moving......

(not really)

[warsaw44]

I once had a terrible job in which I had 6 weeks vacation. Rather than give me a raise the owner would increase my vacation days. Overtime? No - manual labor on a salary.

and in regard to the six weeks? The guy never let me take any of the six weeks. He’d always say the company was “ too busy “ to have me on vacation.

[Wisconsinlady]

You are right. I heard they were supposedly working 96 hours per week-so had 56 hours a week overtime! tell me how that is done!

[greeneyes]

96 hours per week. Been there - done that. 16 hours of work per day 6 days per week(sometimes 7), but I was an “exempt”
employee, so no overtime. Big bonuses were only for bigwigs.

Basically I got up while the family was asleep. Shower and dress in 15 minutes, hit the drive through for breakfast and supper. Lunch at the desk while working. Arrive home at bedtime.

Leads to burnout. I took early retirement as soon as I could.

[Leisler]

It’s a nice state, with good people, but I think it is on its way down. I just talked to a friend and his real estate taxes on his business went up almost double this year.

My tax on my car has doubled, not much in money, but the idea. The state/town is really out their putting the pressure on. Marginal homeowners are talking about their taxes being up 50 percent.

Anyways,if you are( as your are ) on FR, you’re on the good side. I didn’t mean to ding you, or even someone who is like the rest of us, needing to work to keep the family boat afloat.

[mom4melody]

No problem.

I just get weary being dinged for being a federal employee.