This week the Money Trail stops at a favorite watering hole, located in the Land of Leave-With-Full-Pay.

One city refuse division worker we found there has been on paid administrative leave from his job for nearly two years. A supervisor in the same division has been out for six months, according to co-workers.

Both employees get full salaries. They receive pension benefits, sick leave, annual vacation time.

They just don't go to work.

The city won't discuss their job status, citing personnel confidentiality rules. All they'll say is that both have been full-time employees since the early 1980s. One's paid $41,000 per year, the other between $45,000 and $48,000.

We reached one of the workers — we'll call him Employee X — at a side business he's running. He said he couldn't talk about his job situation.

Employee X was convicted of a couple of felonies in 2003 — possession and sale of illegal fireworks — and was sentenced to five years probation in November 2003. The offenses were not work-related and they're not believed to be factors in the city's decision to place X on leave with pay.

One condition of his probation is that he "work full-time," according to court records. Adult probation office director Janice Yamada said she believed that a probationer receiving full-time pay would meet the "work full-time" requirement, even if he didn't actually do any work.

The other employee in the refuse division has been on paid administrative leave since August. The city is investigating allegations that he was conducting personal business on city time.

When we reached Employee Y for comment, he denied those charges and said he wants to get back on the job.

"I just wish they'd decide," he said. "I want to go back to work."

We found a third city worker, Employee Z, who's been on leave with pay from another city department job for 17 months.

"I just got a raise," Z said in a telephone interview last week.

Z also wants to go back to work but doesn't know when that will happen.

Z claims to be a victim of retaliation for blowing the whistle on workplace misconduct. The city has denied that charge but declines to elaborate.

We've asked the city and state if they know how many workers are now out on paid administrative leave. No responses yet.

Last month, we discussed a couple of state employees who were out on extended leaves with pay, including one housing agency worker who collected full pay and benefits for five years but was banned from ever coming in the office.

That public servant was finally fired.

We've decided to return to the Land of Leave-With-Full-Pay as often as necessary.

If you're on administrative leave or know someone who is, we'd like to hear from you.

If you know that a particular money trail will lead to boondoggle, excessive spending or white elephants, reach Jim Dooley at 535-2447 or jdooley@honoluluadvertiser.com