NYC Tried To Fire Dead Man For Missing Work

Posted by | August 10, 2015 07:30 | Filed under: News Behaving Badly


It only took New York City eighteen months to try formally removing a man they did not know was dead from his job. Freakout Nation brings us the latest tale of government bureaucratic incompetence:

Medicaid-eligibility specialist Geoffrey Toliver, 65, had a very good reason for missing work. He’s dead.

New York City moved to fire an employee for missing about 18 months of work but it would be difficult for him to show up at his job after Dec. 8th since that is the date of his death.

Bureaucrats at the Human Resources Administration filed charges against Toliver accusing him of going AWOL — even though his death by cancer was reported in an online obituary, according to the New York Post.

An administrative-law judge then agreed to firing Toliver because he didn’t show up at his hearing.

Toliver’s friends described him as a the father of three who was a dedicated worker.

“How do you fire a man who is already dead? He deserves better. The agency itself should have known,” said Ted Willbright, who added that he considered Toliver as a brother.

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Copyright 2015 Liberaland
By: dave-dr-gonzo

David Hirsch, a.k.a. Dave "Doctor" Gonzo*, is a renegade record producer, video producer, writer, reformed corporate shill, and still-registered lobbyist for non-one-percenter performing artists and musicians. He lives in a heavily fortified compound in one of Manhattan's less trendy neighborhoods.

* Hirsch is the third person to use the pseudonym, a not-so-veiled tribute to journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson, with the permission of his predecessors Gene Gaudette of American Politics Journal (currently webmaster and chief bottlewasher at Liberaland) and Stephen Meese at Smashmouth Politics.

16 responses to NYC Tried To Fire Dead Man For Missing Work

  1. tracey marie August 10th, 2015 at 07:49

    Question, did the family call his workplace and report his death?

    • Budda August 10th, 2015 at 08:57

      and…his fellow workers should have known he was ill

      • tracey marie August 10th, 2015 at 08:59

        Very true, It is up to the family to notify the employer. When my husband was hospitalized I called his work as soon as he was stabilized.

    • dave-dr-gonzo August 10th, 2015 at 10:25

      Evidently, they did.

      • tracey marie August 10th, 2015 at 12:53

        I did not see it in the article, if they did his pension would have been turned over to the family.

        • allison1050 August 10th, 2015 at 13:28

          If I’m not mistaken I read it yesterday on RS.

          • tracey marie August 10th, 2015 at 13:43

            Okay. Thanks, I only read this post. Wellness check makes sense, seems like several levels of workers failed at their jobs.

            • allison1050 August 10th, 2015 at 20:08

              Sad to so but yes you’re right several levels failed this gentleman.

        • Dwendt44 August 11th, 2015 at 12:28

          Not to mention his death benefits. Most employers have a life insurance policy for their employees. Not much usually, but enough for a burial. (modest one anyway)
          You’d think that if the family filed for the life insurance, there’d be something in the computer about that.

          • tracey marie August 11th, 2015 at 12:40

            so many mistakes were made, too many layers of depts to make sense. With computers lot’s of this work can be done with smaller amounts of people.

  2. Suzanne McFly August 10th, 2015 at 11:14

    I bet he won’t make that mistake again.

  3. azeyote August 10th, 2015 at 12:36

    wow you can miss work for 18 months before getting fired – now that’s employee friendly –

  4. Frito Pendejo August 10th, 2015 at 12:44

    This is a disgrace – they should give him a raise.

  5. Bunya August 10th, 2015 at 14:27

    In his defense, he was working in a government job. I’m surprised it took them only 8 months to find out he was dead. IDES told me back in 1986 that they were going to charge me for overpayment on my unemployment checks (which I’ve reported to them over 9 times). They said they were going to calculate the overages and send me a bill. It’s going on 30 years and I’m still waiting. I expect to get that bill in April, 2025.

  6. rg9rts August 10th, 2015 at 17:37

    LOL

  7. Glen Corona August 11th, 2015 at 21:43

    Obama look alike.

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