A hospital worker in Italy is under investigation for allegedly skipping out on work for 15 years while continuing to receive a salary, according to a report.
The unnamed worker, called the “king of absentees” by the Italian press, allegedly made €538,000 or around $647,000 in total after being assigned as a civil servant to the Pugliese Ciaccio hospital in Catanzaro in the southern region of the country in 2005, BBC News reported, citing the Ansa news agency.
CONCERN IN ITALY THAT MAFIA REDIRECTING VACCINE TO FRIENDS AS ELDERLY DIE
The 67-year-old worker and six managers at the hospital are under investigation by the police for fraud, abuse of office and extortion, which is part of a larger investigation into fraud in the public sector in the country.
He has also been accused of threatening the hospital’s former director to keep her from reporting him, the BBC reported. After she retired, neither her replacement nor human resources noticed his absences, police reportedly said.
Missing work is a frequent problem in the public sector in the country, according to The Guardian.
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An investigation into absenteeism in Italy found women using their husbands’ staff cards to clock them into work and others clocking before going canoeing, shopping or taking a nap, according to The Guardian.