Police officer fired after calling in sick 25 times to coach hockey

A West Vancouver police officer has been fired from his job after repeatedly calling in sick to his job to coach minor hockey instead., reports CTV News in Vancouver.

“It was reported that the (West Vancouver Police Department) member called in sick for two shifts in a row. The member was then seen coaching a hockey game during the second shift for which he had called in sick,” reads a section of the annual report from Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner.

The Department initiated an investigation into the absences after it was alleged that the unnamed officer had been calling in sick, only to be seen coaching hockey during the time of his scheduled shift.

“It was reported that the (West Vancouver Police Department) member called in sick for two shifts in a row. The member was then seen coaching a hockey game during the second shift for which he had called in sick,” reads the report.

"I wasn't surprised,” said Kash Heed, former chief of police in West Vancouver.

“There's a culture of entitlement in that department,” Heed said. “(It’s) something that I had to deal with in 2007 where we had several members that were abusing the system … I'm glad that finally somebody had the integrity to report this individual who was abusing the sick policy." 

Incredibly though, abusing his sick time wasn't the reason for the officer's dismissal, rather it was his outward denial that he had called in sick fraudulently. When confronted by a superior the officer denied the allegations and was then dismissed for "deceit and discreditable conduct". In other words, if you're going to lie about calling in sick to work, don't lie further when you're found out to be a liar. Or, as my father always put it to me, "Don't turn a fuck up into a major fuck up." 

The West Vancouver police department confirmed that there would be no further disciplinary actions against the offider , but noted that his behaviour “would fall below the public’s expectations of a municipal police officer.” They also noted that employers should be able to expect that employees “not flagrantly abuse their sick time.”