stephen williams wvilignet outrageous federal government trying force people use time resources acceptably religious ways paraphrase sentiment various indignant people noted penalizes nonreligious slightly religious people take full advantage benefits indignation take offense people choose use time use benefits sickening existence proreligious benefits first place benefit generic doesnt include repercussions tattling whether person religious enough something like acceptable think far religious test territory making unconstitutional apparently proreligion benefit around 20 years additionally par course 2001 one month president bush took office administration established web site touted religious comp time explicitly informed federal workers could receive pay unused religious comp time left jobs appalling sdw httpwwwwashingtonpostcomwpdyncontentarticle20071011ar2007101102163htmlsubar probes find improper use religious comp time rule violations federal agencies individual employees mean big payouts workers john solomon washington post staff writer friday october 12 2007 page a03 mark elengold retired top government drug regulator 2005 received 18733 final paycheck top normal salary money bonus overtime pay compensation unused vacation hours rather time reserved go synagogue actually used purpose threedecade career bureaucratic parlance elengolds payment religious compensation time littleknown benefit created 1978 law allows civilian federal employees work small amounts overtime bank hours use take time religious observances without spending vacation leave rep bart stupak dmich chairman house investigative subcommittee found fda didnt follow rules religious compensation time called abuses insult men women faith susan walsh associated press comments include profanity personal attacks inappropriate comments material removed site additionally entries unsigned contain signatures someone actual author removed finally take steps block users violate posting standards terms use privacy policies policies governing site please review full rules governing commentaries discussions fully responsible content post goals law broadly supported time promoted bush administration government congressional investigators found evidence recent years religious benefit sometimes used improperly pad vacation time retirement cashouts early bush administration navy determined three civilian managers rhode island accrued hundreds hours religious leave used time play golf gamble run marathons travel europe banked regular vacation leave would eligible large cash payouts upon retirement asked whether considered golf tournament religious observance one workers told navy investigators could people fall congressional investigators found many workers food drug administration allowed accrue carry religious leave higher amounts agency rules allowed two dozen workers changed jobs retired paid unused portions leave records obtained washington post show religious comp time intended used cash cow retiring fda bureaucrats said rep bart stupak dmich chairman house energy commerce investigative subcommittee discovered fda problems abuse privilege moneymaking scam insult men women faith rep joe l barton tex energy commerce committees senior republican expressed similar concerns agencys rules state employees may accrue religious comp hours narrow window time four pay periods eight workweeks must identify writing specific religious observances plan use time must expend banked hours observances accruing new religious leave 1978 law created religious comp time makes mention taking money unused time expressly states federal employees attend religious events lieu overtime pay regulations government created later however state workers receive money unused portions religious comp time change jobs retire fda officials said investigating workers accrued large balances time weve determined employees earn leave inappropriately leave used last year balances may taken away said kimberly holden fdas assistant commissioner management 2001 one month president bush took office administration established web site touted religious comp time explicitly informed federal workers could receive pay unused religious comp time left jobs also promoted leave ways including sending reminders workers could use time religious observances surrounding death pope john paul ii 2005 justice department also extended benefit parttime workers year office personnel management says track use religious leave monitor abuse estimate many hours federal workforce accrues annually governmentwide requirements tracking reporting retention use religious comp time spokesman peter graves said lack oversight troubles investigators stupaks subcommittee found fda following rules often workers could bank religious comp time agency documents reviewed post show workers often used leave without identifying religious observance required comments include profanity personal attacks inappropriate comments material removed site additionally entries unsigned contain signatures someone actual author removed finally take steps block users violate posting standards terms use privacy policies policies governing site please review full rules governing commentaries discussions fully responsible content post holden said fda managers updating rules taking refresher course think people misinterpreted compensatory time said need little clear going required fda payroll records show 120 employees 16 hours religious leave banked beginning year least 11 workers unused balances excess 50 hours many allowed keep accumulating hours despite large balances joseph biviano associate director management fdas center biologics evaluation research cber started 2006 243 hours unused religious leave permitted bank additional 9875 hours last year without expending previous time january balance converted cash biviano promoted resulting 20658 payout biviano said questioned payment soon showed check january repaid 13000 money net amount taxes april month congressional investigators first raised questions fda religious comp time converted money officials said delay caused fdas payroll system biviano declined interviewed accrued much religious leave use statement emailed post agency spokeswoman said payment january payroll error never used religious comp time want make sure clear intentionally anything implement payment religious comp time statement said elengold retired 2005 deputy director cber said banked hundreds hours religious comp time working single project 1980s required long overtime expended 40 hours year major jewish holidays retired still 192 hours unused religious leave paid got last check said interview though manager fda career elengold said never told rules governing religious comp time one ever objected large leave balance 20 years carrying balance someone said never credited wouldnt issue sat lot time attendance training classes never flagged converted couple times new time leave systems never flagged either least 31 fda employees received payouts unused religious comp time since 2002 fda told congress bivianos elengolds largest checks less 2000 congressional investigators said may demand repayments employees allowed accrue much religious leave stupak asked department health human services inspector general determine whether laws broken fda auditing past problems tightening practices plans review whether 10000 employees use leave religious observances dont resources agencies determine whether employee took religious comp time went golfing holden said comments include profanity personal attacks inappropriate comments material removed site additionally entries unsigned contain signatures someone actual author removed finally take steps block users violate posting standards terms use privacy policies policies governing site please review full rules governing commentaries discussions fully responsible content post exactly happened naval undersea warfare center newport ri according 2002 naval inspector generals report found three senior managers allowed accrue hundreds hours religious leave use lieu vacation time almost decade time caught using time recreational purposes workers banked enough leave eligible payouts 195000 250000 retired investigators found stripped excess leave part inquiry facts case suggested premeditated conspiratorial effort defraud government inspector general concluded one workers confronted evidence taken lengthy european vacation using religious comp time sought justify saying bonding experience half brother lives germany spent time visiting zurich various churches according transcripts investigators interviews obtained post another worker catholic used religious comp time least nine times medical appointments take day federal holiday report said navy ultimately decided prosecute workers retired meanwhile colleague blew whistle conduct said moved job placed temporarily leave without pay eventually retired reached settlement navy alleged retaliation navy held close didnt open allow scrutiny said peter duffy whistleblower congress media agencies loss went possible right set circumstances kinds abuses could happen wed 06 aug 2008 072429 0400 fork holy crap probes find improper use religious comp time