Crime doesn’t pay Published Jan. 22, 2009 By Office of the Staff Judge Advocate TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla., -- The following are actual accounts of crimes recently committed by members of Team Tinker. The Tinker Take Off will regularly publish "Crime Doesn't Pay" to inform readers of criminal acts to be alert for and to deter and prevent further criminal behavior from taking place on base. Safety first! An employee was suspended for failing to wear the proper personal protective equipment in the workplace. As this employee discovered, proper wear of safety equipment such as gloves, hearing and eye protection or other items are essential to carrying out the Tinker mission. Failure to wear required PPE is a serious issue that will be addressed. Another employee was suspended without pay for 14 days for multiple safety violations. The employee fell while climbing a piece of equipment in an attempt to retrieve an item. The employee ignored the safety warnings posted on the equipment and failed to use sound judgment in his climb. During the fall, the employee not only sustained serious injuries, but also caused substantial injury to a nearby co-worker. The equipment was also damaged as a result of the employee's actions. The second employee was also suspended for assisting the first employee in the safety violations. Safety warnings and guidelines exist for our protection -- failure to follow these warnings and guidelines can not only affect your pay and work history, but also result in injury and time away from work. Do your job when you are at work A base employee has been suspended for using government resources for the benefit of the employee and an outside agency. Any non-official use of government resources must be approved by a supervisor and not all uses will be approved. Failure to follow these guidelines or abuse of the assets can affect your next paycheck. A second employee was removed for unauthorized use of government assets that took so much time, the employee failed to stay gainfully employed. The employee also used inappropriate language when speaking with a supervisor. Tinker employees are hired and paid to accomplish the Air Force mission. An employee's personal matters need to be handled during that employee's personal time. False paperwork could cost you your job A Tinker employee was fired for presenting a falsified doctor's note to the employee's supervisor. The employee changed the language on an otherwise valid note from a physician. When presenting a note from your doctor, let your doctor do the talking. The decision to change that note cost this employee a job. Federal court may not be free Federal court can cost Pursuing an action through the administrative process, such as an EEO complaint, is free. Filing a lawsuit against the Air Force in federal district court, however, may cost you. In addition to paying a filing fee, if your case is determined to be without merit, you may get an order requiring you to pay back the government for the costs incurred in defending against the lawsuit. Losing a lawsuit in federal court could end up costing an individual well over $1,000.