Write 500 Times: ‘I Will Not Lie About Sick Days Then Post Vacation Photos Online’
My dad once told me a story about when he first became a manager long ago. One of his employees came to him with vacation requests and had requested about six more days than the company allotted him. My dad inquired as to why he did that.
He said the employees very nonchalantly went through each day and when he got to the ones later in the year, he explained that he would be using his sick days for the final requested vacation of the year.
He was shocked at the honesty. Despite being up front, he had to burst the guy’s bubble. The employee said “Well, what if I would have just lied and called in sick?”
He obviously wouldn’t have been the first to ever do that. He also probably would have gotten away with it (my dad isn’t the doctor’s note type). This was probably 20 years ago, so it was a lot easier for morons to pull this off. Now, with Twitter and Facebook, it isn’t so easy. Just ask the NYC Department of Education:
More than a dozen Department of Education employees were busted in the past two years for faking illnesses to take paid vacations, records show.
According to the New York Daily News report, at least 13 teachers, aides and cooks (I wish my lunch lady was on Facebook back in the day) were busted and were either fired or paid some hefty fines for gloating about their dishonesty on “the social network.”
"Yes, you must write it 500 times, Robert."
Some specific cases:
The offense: Robert Nappo, who is a teacher & coach on Staten Island, and his wife, Cindy, who teaches in Brooklyn, each used five sick days to jet over to Aruba in 2008. They both had to fork over $7,500. Quite the extra bag fee.
Analysis: Robert told The Daily News: “”It’s unfair that gutless people who may have it in for you stoop so low to do something this.” No, Robert, what’s low is you being so hypocritical. My teachers would have been pissed to find out I was hanging at the beach when I was “sick” in high school.
The offense: Marci Marconi, an assistant school cook in Queens, used seven sick days for a Caribbean cruise. She was fired.
Analysis: How long was this cruise? Two weekends AND seven sick days? You better have a good story for being “sick” 11 days. Here’s the best part: She came back with a tan and one of those lame island hair braids. And the kids, who went to the school, were bragging to fellow students (because that’s what kids do). Who gives out the award for “Smartest school cook ever?”
The offense: Patricia and Robert De Pinto (pictured) were also hit with a $15,000 fine after they used some sick days to enjoy a honeymoon in Italy.
Analysis: Hope they asked for cash at the wedding.
For better or worse, Mrs. De Pinto!
The offense: Hesper Franklin, a paraprofessional (huh?), told the school system she injured herself while on a vacation to Trinidad and needed to extend her stay with sick days. She was fired.
Analysis: Seems harsh, no? Well, they looked into it and realized she had used sick days for the original trip. She told the Daily News “I just want my job back.” Well, Hesper, we don’t want such bright people around our youth.
If you don’t know the moral of the story, then you’re probably offspring of one of these education all stars.
So, if we learned anything here today, class, it’s that even the 75-year-old principal at your high school is on Facebook. Time to start cheating smarter.
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Oh come on…is the 3 month long summer vacation from school not good enough???