ATLANTA, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- The biggest performance bonuses given by the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention go to managers, not scientists, it was reported Sunday.
The disclosure comes amid morale problems at the federal agency. It also adds fuel to criticisms the agency focuses more on management and bureaucracy and less on its public health mission, reports The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which also analyzed the bonus data.
The 72 CDC employees who received five or more awards of at least $2,500 from 2000 through July 21 of this year work in non-science jobs.
Some got $30,000, $50,000 and in one case more than $140,000 in cumulative bonus cash beyond their salaries, the newspaper said. The CDC has about 9,000 employees, with 4,200 of them considered scientific staffers.
A CDC official said the agency was examining its system of awarding employees to ensure fairness, appropriateness and transparency.
