NEW YORK — A Long Island Rail Road dispatcher supervisor and dispatcher have been disciplined after being found asleep on the job by investigators from the Office of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Inspector General.
A report by Inspector General Carolyn Pokorny says the office received a tip that overnight dispatchers were turning off the lights in their office and sleeping while on duty, and would yell at coworkers who attempted to wake them up.
Investigators made an unannounced visit to the office in Jamaica, Queens, on Oct. 1, 2021 and found the supervisor and dispatcher in a dark office, asleep to the point they did not realize the investigators had entered. “They certainly would have not been capable of responding to dispatching emails while asleep and we question whether they would have heard dispatch calls,” the report reads. Investigators were unable to determine if another dispatcher at his desk was asleep, although they believe it was likely.
The report recommended discipline “up to and including termination” for the supervisor and dispatcher who were found asleep, and discipline “as the LIRR deems appropriate” for the other dispatcher.
The New York Post reports the supervisor received a 15-day suspension and the sleeping dispatcher a 10-day suspension. The other dispatcher received no discipline becase it could not be confirmed whether he was asleep.
An MTA spokesman told the newspaper, “The LIRR expects all employees to be engaged and attentive while at work. Failure to do so is unacceptable, and the railroad has assessed maximum possible discipline.” The railroad has also implemented random spot checks and other oversight measures.
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