An investigation revealed that the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) paid a group of employees who could not perform their jobs remotely during the pandemic. These employees received close to $1.13 million for not working at least two days a week, despite a return to office policy in May 2022. The Office of Executive Inspector General found that managers were aware of this misuse but failed to act. The report criticized the CTA for the lack of justification for continued payments and recommended reviewing remote work policies and addressing managerial accountability.
Although paying employees may have been necessary in the very beginning of the pandemic, the CTA's payment for no work continued week after week for five years. No justifiable reason for this continued payment was provided in any CTA documents or by any of the relevant CTA employees interviewed.
The report determined that several CTA managers were aware of the practice of paying workers for remote days during which they could not work but 'took no action to reduce or stop such waste.'
The OEIG recommended that the CTA review its remote work policies to make sure no other employees are being paid to stay home while not working.
CTA spokesperson Catherine Hosinski stated that the agency 'took immediate action' upon being informed of the findings from the Office of Executive Inspector General.
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