Readers write: Aug. 28

Should vacations be mandatory?

In response to “Go ahead, take a vacation” (Opinion, Aug. 24), every year, employers lose billions of dollars due to financial thefts by employees. In many cases, employers may not even be aware of the thefts because the “loyal employee” who never takes a day off can’t be more than a day or two away from his or her supervisor who might discover the discrepancies. If every employee who has anything to do with financial matters or cash were required to take two weeks a year off — not just a day at a time, but two full weeks — the results might be a surprise to the employer’s bottom line. It is simply good risk management.

KEN BROWNLEE, SANDY SPRINGS

Sanctions should follow perpetrators

The recent revelation that Georgia Tech is being sanctioned again for some errors made in the recruitment process by administrators and coaches no longer employed by the athletic department stirred some lingering concerns with me (“NCAA cites Georgia Tech for ‘failure to monitor,’” Aug. 22, Sports). I have been mulling this over in my mind since Penn State received huge financial penalties and heavy team sanctions because of the scandal at that school brought upon it by an assistant coach.

Such penalties and sanctions, especially the type revealed at Tech recently, seem to miss the target. Should the administrator charged with improper behavior, who has since been employed by an SEC school in a similar position, and the implicated assistant coaches not be the targets? Should those charged not receive suitable fines and/or employment sanctions as individuals? NCAA current policies penalize current coaches and student-athletes who may not have had anything to do with the mistakes and charges from the past.

J. FOSTER WATKINS, VININGS