Patrick attacks sick-time policies

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deval L. Patrick yesterday called for greater government oversight and a complete review of sick time rules at state agencies, reacting to a Globe report that said the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority has paid departing employees more than $6.2 million for unused sick days over the past five years.

``These kinds of excessive benefits have no place in the public sector and only further undermine voters' confidence in our government's ability to properly manage taxpayers' money," Patrick said in a statement. But beyond his calls for reform to the ``lavish" sick-time policy, he also leveled more fundamental criticisms at the Romney administration, for being unaware of the generous benefits package.

The Globe reported yesterday that because of a policy that has been in place for more than three decades, employees at the Massachusetts Port Authority have been allowed to accumulate 15 sick days per year and redeem up to 100 percent of that time for pay when they retired. The Globe review found that in the last five years , 287 employees received $6.2 million, with one longtime employee receiving as much as $201,000.

Most state employees are allowed to cash in only 20 percent of their unused sick days when they retire. If these rules had been applied to the 287 employees, they would have received a maximum of $1.1 million.

It is the second time that questions about sick time have become a central issue at the state's independent authorities, which are overseen by the governor's office.

When Romney forced Massachusetts Turnpike chairman Matthew J. Amorello to resign this summer, he pointed to sick time as one example of mismanagement at the Turnpike Authority. In July, Amorello increased the percentage of sick days that Turnpike managers and administrative staffers could cash in, from 20 to 50 percent, and extended the benefit to employees who resign.

Romney believes independent agencies like Massport and the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority should have the same sick-time policy as most other state employees, his spokesman, Eric Fehrnstrom , said yesterday. That would mean employees who retire would be able to cash in 20 percent of their sick days.

``We've already made that change at the Turnpike, and we are encouraging Massport to do the same," Fehrnstrom wrote in an e-mail response to the Globe.

Tim O'Brien , a spokesman for Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey's gubernatorial campaign, said she was dedicated to reforming state government, and said it was essential to eliminate unusual, excessive benefits programs.

But Patrick and independent candidate Christy Mihos were quick to raise questions about why the sick-time policy did not come to Romney's attention until a Globe reporter began to ask questions.

``This is intentional indifference by the Romney administration to really focus in on how state government really works and runs," Mihos said in a phone interview.

Patrick's campaign suggested the lack of oversight was an indication of the way Healey would run her administration if elected.

``How disturbing this is: to realize that after four years, the governor and lieutenant governor don't seem to have a clear understanding that these kinds of excessive benefits are being handed out," said Patrick spokesman Richard Chacon .

O'Brien called Patrick's criticism ``disingenuous."

``Kerry Healey is going to work to crack down on abuses and independent agencies," O'Brien said. ``And Deval Patrick has made so many promises, he is going to be too beholden to special interests to bring any meaningful change."

Carolyn Y. Johnson can be reached at cjohnson@globe.com.