Miulang
February 24th, 2007, 11:18 AM
Jim Dooley, in the Advertiser's "On the Money Trail (http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070221/COLUMNISTS30/702210396/1243/NEWS)" has a very interesting column this week about the "double dippers" currently employed by the State.
In some areas (like the Attorney General's Office), former police officers, now retired, are being hired as contract employees for 89 days at a time. This allows them to retain their police pensions AND make some extra income on the side.
That in itself is not inherently bad, but what IS bad is the State is using the 89-day contracts as a way to get out of paying for permanent employees who have benefits, including retirement and healthcare.
The column notes some examples where other contract employees have been "recontracted" 15 times for their positions. All they have to do is take one day off at the end of their 89-day contract and then they can get rehired for another 89 days.
In the long run, this is a bad practice for those who currently are not retired and just looking for extra income since they have no benefits forthcoming. It also potentially could prevent permanent employees from being promoted. But it also makes those contract employees who do have pensions among the people with the highest incomes in Hawai'i.
Miulang
In some areas (like the Attorney General's Office), former police officers, now retired, are being hired as contract employees for 89 days at a time. This allows them to retain their police pensions AND make some extra income on the side.
That in itself is not inherently bad, but what IS bad is the State is using the 89-day contracts as a way to get out of paying for permanent employees who have benefits, including retirement and healthcare.
The column notes some examples where other contract employees have been "recontracted" 15 times for their positions. All they have to do is take one day off at the end of their 89-day contract and then they can get rehired for another 89 days.
In the long run, this is a bad practice for those who currently are not retired and just looking for extra income since they have no benefits forthcoming. It also potentially could prevent permanent employees from being promoted. But it also makes those contract employees who do have pensions among the people with the highest incomes in Hawai'i.
Miulang