It has also been alleged he was on full pay for those 15 years.
A hospital employee in Italy has been accused of skipping work for 15 years, despite continuing to receive full pay.
The Guardian reports that the male civil servant, aged 67, is alleged to have not turned up for work at the Pugliese Ciaccio hospital in Catanzaro in south Italy since 2005.
During this time, the employee is said to have continued to be paid a monthly salary, which amounts to €538,000 over that time.
The man is now facing charges of abuse of office, forgery and aggravated extortion, while six managers are being investigated on suspicion of playing a part in enabling the alleged absenteeism.
As part of their investigation, Italian police gathered evidence from attendance and salary records, as well as witness statements.
The man is also alleged to have threatened the hospital’s then-director in 2005 to stop her from lodging a disciplinary report in relation to his skipping of work.
When she retired, the man is said to have continued to dodge work unabated as his attendance was never verified by her successor or the human resources department, according to Italian police.
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