Archive Spanish civil servant took six years off — no one noticed

A Spanish civil servant didn't show up for work for six years, and his absence was only noticed when he was due to collect a long-service award.

Joaquín García, a 69-year-old engineer, started working for a water company run by the municipal authority in Cádiz in 1990, the Times wrote. He last turned up for work in 2004 but continued to collect his €37,000 a year salary.

In 2010, when García was to be given a commemorative plaque for 20 years of loyal service, Jorge Blas Fernández, the deputy mayor of Cádiz, who had employed García, wondered where he was.

“We thought the water company had supervised him but it was not the case,” Fernández said.

García was on Thursday given a €27,000 fine for absenteeism. He cannot be fired as he has since retired.

García told the court that he turned up each day between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. as he had a family to support but also said that he was a victim of workplace bullying.