We've all had a bad day at work, but few of us have thrown out a very expensive piece of American history because it "was unneeded."

Mistakes happen all the time in the workplace. Most go unnoticed, or aren't the sort of thing that makes headlines.

Then, there are on-the-job mistakes that make people ask "What were you thinking?"

A state watchdog says two former employees at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum improperly disposed of items that may have had some historical value.

The State Journal-Register reports one item was part of a wooden desk from the old Union Station that the state bought for $22,600.

A report issued Thursday by Illinois' executive inspector general said someone reported in 2018 that they saw a museum staff member sawing apart pieces of the desk. The report says state property worth more than $100 cannot be disposed of without permission of Central Management Services.

Museum spokesman Chris Wills says the item was "an unneeded part of a piece of furniture" and had no historical value.

He says rules for property disposal have been made clear to all staff.

You'll notice that the museum employees involved are now referred to as "former employees."

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