News release: “U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK) released a report today detailing the rapid growth in the annual number of hours federal employees are found to be absent without leave (AWOL) from their jobs. Since 2001, 18 federal departments and agencies reported that, employees have been AWOL for at least 19.6 million hours when they should have otherwise been working.

The investigation found that annual AWOL hours have increased gradually since 2001, climbing from approximately 2.5 million hours per year to 3.5 million hours in 2007. The disturbing findings of this report are an example of inefficiencies in the federal government that would not be tolerated in private companies.”

Missing in Action: AWOL in the Federal Government – A Report By
Senator Tom Coburn, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services and International Security, August 2008