Some Chicago airport workers were not just grabbing coffee on their breaks. According to the city’s inspector general, employees at O’Hare drank alcohol while on the clock, stretched their breaks far past the limit, fudged time cards and engaged in other misconduct, then quietly slipped back to work. The investigation zeroed in on staffers in the Department of Aviation, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Water Management, with the watchdog recommending discipline for multiple workers, including discharge and a ban on future city employment.
What the inspector general found
A report from the City of Chicago Office of Inspector General says the probe looked at 14 subjects and found that eight City employees drank alcohol while on duty, often at bars near O’Hare, then returned to finish their shifts. The OIG's Q1 2026 report describes security-camera footage of a laborer who sat in their car for more than two and a half hours after an extended, alcohol-fueled lunch, and details how several staffers spent hours idling instead of working.
Specific misconduct cited
The report outlines a grab bag of bad behavior: a laborer who stole and copied a parking placard to park in a secure lot, supervisors who drank with subordinates during lunch breaks, and employees who routinely used a nearby gym while still on the clock. As reported by the Chicago Tribune, investigators also found that seven subjects made false statements to OIG during the investigation.
Departments' response and recommended discipline
OIG urged the aviation department to discharge seven employees and impose discipline on others, and recommended that the transportation and water departments either discipline or discharge implicated staff and work with Human Resources to mark some employees as ineligible for rehire. The OIG press release states that CDOT and DWM preliminarily agreed with the recommendations, and that CDA submitted its responses after OIG's response deadline, asking the Department of Law to prepare discharge charges.
Why it matters
The findings put an uncomfortable spotlight on how a casual attitude toward drinking and long, unauthorised absences can ripple into operational risk at one of the country’s busiest hubs. OIG framed the situation as more than a few people making bad choices, pointing instead to managerial failures and a workplace culture where some supervisors did not see it as their responsibility to stop subordinates from drinking on the job. The report, filed with City Council, effectively hands officials a roadmap for changing those practices.
What's next
From here, disciplinary steps move through the city’s personnel and legal channels. In some cases, OIG recommended that the Department of Law prepare discharge charges and that the Department of Human Resources flag employees as ineligible for rehire. City departments and unions will sort out the timing and scope of any hearings or penalties, while OIG has said it will keep up oversight to ensure its recommendations are carried out.
