General

Ottawa bus drivers are really sick—especially on Fridays and sunny days

Swine flu isn’t the problem

The capital city is having a tough time keeping its fleet of buses on the road—and it’s not because of mechanical problems. In a memo distributed to staff (and subsequently posted on a local blog for all to see), a senior transit official criticized drivers for a major spike in sick days. Every weekday, nearly one in ten “Transpo” operators call in with the sniffles, an 11 per cent increase from the year before. The memo described the trend as a “major concern,” noting that “clear identifiable patterns exist such as increased absenteeism on Fridays, when experiencing good/poor weather and towards the end of a booking.” When asked about the memo, Alex Cullen, chair of the city’s transit committee, said managers are “just taking precautions” to make sure passengers aren’t inconvenienced.

CBC News

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