Caught in a blatant untruth, Ottawa Citizen op-ed writer Ian Lee smarms, with editorial approval.

Lee’s article is a full-scale assault on the federal public service and its employees. His original claim, now in the print edition only, was this:

Many were likely even more astonished to learn that federal public servants can build up a bank of unused sick leave that the government must pay out to the employee upon retirement.

Very shortly after the Citizen was urged to fact-check, Lee amended his piece thus:

Many were likely even more astonished to learn that federal public servants can build up a bank of unused sick leave that effectively encourages public servants to use up their sick leave because it cannot be monetized upon retirement.

The Citizen is to be commended for its quick response to the complaints it received. But what a commentary on Professor Lee’s intellectual honesty. Res ipsa loquitur.

[H/t Geordie MacDonald]