How Hard is it to Fire a Federal Employee? III

The Federal Diary in the Post today details the case of Bob Whitmore, a 37-year Labor Department employee, which proves that it is possible to fire a federal employee.

Of course, the fact that Whitmore's primary infraction took place on July 10, 2007, and that Whitmore has been sitting at home on administrative leave collecting his $150,000 salary for doing nothing, supports our view that it is a tad bit too difficult to fire a federal employee.

Of course, Whitmore's firing is contentious. Then again, most every firing usually is. It all comes down to spit, and Whitmore seems to think a DNA test could prove his (relative) innocence.

The Post identifies Reason No. 1 as the most serious charge in the 19 page memo produced by Labor officials justifying the action:

Among other things, it says Whitmore's argument with his supervisor, Joe DuBois, got heated to the point that Whitmore was yelling "so uncontrollably that you showered him [DuBois] with your saliva." To the contrary, said Whitmore, who insists DuBois did the spitting. Whitmore said he has an unlaundered shirt to prove he was the one spitted upon.

Ew.

FatCratz has no dog in the fight over Whitmore's guilt or innocence, though he comes across as an unsavory manager. For his part, Whitmore claims to be a persecuted whistleblower. But the mere fact that it takes a 19 page memo, and over 20 months, to fire someone suggests that the process is fundamentally flawed. And the determination to persevere in an action that is so time-consuming and difficult leads this reader to conclude that the firing is probably justified.

Just think how many people deserve to be fired, but aren't, because the process is so time consuming and difficult.