A California DMV worker reportedly has been sleeping on her job for more than three years but is still working for the agency, according to a statewide audit of employee misconduct.
The California State Auditor's Office addressed the Department of Motor Vehicles situation involving an unnamed data operator in a report released on Tuesday, KFSN-TV reported.
"A key data operator at the Department of Motor Vehicles failed to perform her essential duties over a period of nearly four years because she slept at her desk for extended periods of time during work hours," the report stated.
"From February 2014 through December 2017, the employee misused more than 2,200 hours of work time as a result of sleeping on the job, costing the State more than $40,000."
KFSN-TV reported that during an investigation into the employee, her supervisor said that because she woke up the employee three to four times each day, she believed the employee missed only 20 to 30 minutes of work time daily.
Four witnesses, though, told investigators that they regularly saw the employee sleeping at her desk for hours at a time during work hours rather than the 20 to 30 minutes estimated by the supervisor.
The witnesses claimed the employee slept for a minimum of three hours each workday, saying there were times the supervisor did not wake her up even when the supervisor knew the employee was sleeping, KFSN-TV said.
The Sacramento Bee reported the worker might have had a medical condition that made it difficult for her to work on a regular schedule, with a doctor informing the agency in 2016 that she could not perform the duties the job required.
The DMV reassigned her to another position in January 2017, but she continued to fall sleep at work, the newspaper said.
The DMV said that after the investigation in March, it issued a corrective memorandum that contains "the necessary language" that will allow it to issue an adverse action to her if she does not correct her behavior, KFSN-TV said.
The auditor's office said the California Whistleblower Protection Act empowers the office to investigate and report on improper governmental activities by agencies and employees of the state.
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