DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Workers in an IRS building in DeKalb County say management is now blaming them for the rodent problem.
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Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes say there is an active Occupational Safety and Health Administration complaint on the building that workers say is infested with rats.
And workers told Fernandes that OSHA officials were interviewing them inside this building Thursday.
Now because this is a federal building, the General Services Administration is responsible for the health and safety of workers here, but Channel 2 Action News confirmed Thursday OSHA is still investigating the rat problem even though the IRS sent a letter trying to get this case closed.
“I’ve been out of the office for the last two months,” one worker said.
IRS employees who have been afraid to speak out in the past say they are fed up.
Fernandes spoke to three workers on the phone Thursday who say they took time off because the rats are making them sick.
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“We’re a federal government employee and we’re met with rats and rat feces when we go to work,” one worker said.
They say since Channel 2 Action News first reported on the rat problem in June, things have gotten even worse at the Dekalb County facility.
“I went from having a headache to a migraine to I literally passed out at my desk,” one worker said.
Here’s the timeline: An IRS worker made an official complaint to OSHA on May 27.
Channel 2 Action News first reported it the next week on June 2.
On June 12, IRS officials let many workers work from home.
The next month, on July 6, an IRS manager sent a letter to OSHA, saying the IRS is doing its part – by putting down rat traps, having more inspections and monitoring.
The IRS manager went on to blame the workers.
“The attached photographs show instances where employees have circumvented the pest control program - by placing food items on the floor in an apparent attempt to attract rodents,” the letter said.
On Aug. 10, the IRS union that represents workers sent a letter to the Secretary of Labor, saying when workers came back into the building, the rats, the feces and the dead rats were still around.
They added, “employees reported managers falsely accusing employees of smuggling pests into the building just so they can telework.”
Workers say they are in disbelief.
“Like who would put a rat in their bag and bring it into work? That doesn’t even make sense,” a worker said.
To be clear, the workers say there was an attempt to get rid of the rats. It just didn’t work.
Channel 2 Action News reached out to the IRS Thursday to ask questions about that, but no one replied.
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