2008 Woodie Awards
Thousands of Illinois workers flunk ethics test for rushing
Issue date: 9/4/06 Section: News Briefs
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The governor's inspector general flunked thousands of state employees on an annual ethics exam because they rushed.
Letters sent to 5,000 or more state employees rescinded "certificates of completion'' on the ethics review because they didn't spend the minimum amount of time on the computerized program.
A spokesman for an employees' union called the situation "preposterous.''
Some employees spent less than 10 minutes on the program, which includes 80 pages. Inspector General James Wright's office said employees, on average, spend more than a half-hour reviewing the training.
About 58,000 workers in agencies under Gov. Rod Blagojevich took the review earlier this year and about 10 percent received a 10-page "ethics orientation for noncompliant employees,'' including a form the worker must return.
"Your failure to complete this additional training on a timely basis, as well as any future failure to properly comply with this annual training requirement, will result in disciplinary action,'' a letter signed by Wright states.
The inspector general's director of ethics training and compliance, David Keahl, said the typical test-taker spent 32 minutes on the program. The office has developed a minimum time required to be spent on the computer system, any less than that, and the employee is in violation of not completing the training. Keahl declined to say what this year's minimum time period is.
But no one was told about the minimum period, said Anders Lindall, spokesman for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents 70 percent of employees working for the governor.
"Effectively, employees are being threatened with punishment for their mastery of the subject matter,'' Lindall told The (Springfield) State Journal-Register for a Wednesday story. "To set up an arbitrary time limit, and threaten to punish them for successfully completing the quiz in less than that amount of time, is preposterous.''
The program often is called a "test'' because it includes a quiz at the end. But state officials say it's important employees understand all the material presented, which changes each year. This year, an election year, it focused on issues surrounding politicking, Keahl said.
Letters sent to 5,000 or more state employees rescinded "certificates of completion'' on the ethics review because they didn't spend the minimum amount of time on the computerized program.
A spokesman for an employees' union called the situation "preposterous.''
Some employees spent less than 10 minutes on the program, which includes 80 pages. Inspector General James Wright's office said employees, on average, spend more than a half-hour reviewing the training.
About 58,000 workers in agencies under Gov. Rod Blagojevich took the review earlier this year and about 10 percent received a 10-page "ethics orientation for noncompliant employees,'' including a form the worker must return.
"Your failure to complete this additional training on a timely basis, as well as any future failure to properly comply with this annual training requirement, will result in disciplinary action,'' a letter signed by Wright states.
The inspector general's director of ethics training and compliance, David Keahl, said the typical test-taker spent 32 minutes on the program. The office has developed a minimum time required to be spent on the computer system, any less than that, and the employee is in violation of not completing the training. Keahl declined to say what this year's minimum time period is.
But no one was told about the minimum period, said Anders Lindall, spokesman for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents 70 percent of employees working for the governor.
"Effectively, employees are being threatened with punishment for their mastery of the subject matter,'' Lindall told The (Springfield) State Journal-Register for a Wednesday story. "To set up an arbitrary time limit, and threaten to punish them for successfully completing the quiz in less than that amount of time, is preposterous.''
The program often is called a "test'' because it includes a quiz at the end. But state officials say it's important employees understand all the material presented, which changes each year. This year, an election year, it focused on issues surrounding politicking, Keahl said.
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Tony Williams
posted 1/05/07 @ 12:51 PM CST
This law is both illegal and non-constitutional. What gives the Governor's Office the right to engage in surveillance that is the mandate of Homeland Security and the FBI! Quite obviously, this is a sleazy way the Governor is using to "demonize" others while he, himself, is under investigation by the Attorney General. (Continued…)
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