Sickout traced to unemployment rules

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Friday afternoon, dozens of parents received automated calls from IPS alerting them their child could be up to two hours late getting home because of a lack of bus drivers. Some buses were no-shows, due to a "sick out. "

The sickout can be traced to a change in unemployment insurance rules.

The Department of Workforce Development says: even though that change was made last year, it's causing problems this year. Many parents were frustrated when they had to scramble to retrieve their child from school Friday afternoon.

Bus drivers -- and other people who are subject to short, scheduled shutdowns -- aren't supposed to be eligible for the payments.

But, some drivers have received as much as $3,500 the state says they "didn't deserve."

Now, the state says it is obligated to "retrieve" that money and that's the reason so many drivers didn't show up for work yesterday.

The state says it did publicize the change and the bus company could have done more to make sure its drivers were aware of the rule change.