SPAIN
A Spanish Public Servant who did no work for a decade has been banned from applying for any Government job for nine years.
Carles Recio (pictured), whose official title was Archives Director for Valencia‘s Provincial Government, turned up to his office each day at 7.30 am to clock in, before heading out for the day to coffee shops and restaurants, returning only to clock out at 4 pm.
He managed to keep up this schedule for 10 years and lost his €50,000-a-year (A$78,200) job only when colleagues finally raised their suspicions last year and he was fired.
However, Mr Recio claimed he had been “working like a dog so that others can reap the rewards of my work”.
The former PS employee said he carried out all his duties outside the office, although investigators failed to find any record of work he claimed to have done.
A tribunal rejected his explanation.
He later claimed he worked off-site as he was a victim of harassment by colleagues.
An attempt to bring criminal charges against Mr Recio was dropped by state prosecutors, who decided his 10-year absence did not constitute a crime.
However, a civil court found him guilty of “clearly intending to not go to work and carry out his work duties for a continued period of time”.
The court did not disclose whether he had to pay back any of his salary.
Valencia, 14 July 2018
