In Cádiz, Spain, a man named Joaquín García managed to skip work for six years without being detected.
García, who was a building supervisor at a water treatment plant, was employed by the local government for over 20 years. Despite not showing up for work, he continued to receive his annual salary of $41,500.
His absence went unnoticed due to a mix-up between two departments, each assuming the other was overseeing his duties.
When the company tried to reach him for the ceremony, they realized he hadn't been to work in six years.
This surprising discovery led to García being ordered to pay back $30,000, the maximum penalty possible.
The deputy mayor of Cádiz, Jorge Blas, investigated the situation. He discovered that García's absence had gone unnoticed for years, which raised questions about his employment status.
Blas reached out to García, asking what he had been doing during his absence, to which García had no clear response. This lack of oversight highlighted issues within the company's management.
García later explained that workplace bullying initially caused him to stop attending work. During his time away, he developed an interest in philosophy, which he pursued while still receiving his salary.
Eventually, Joaquín was fined the maximum penalty of $30,000 for the case, as reported by BBC.
However, he has appealed the fine, and some have even admired his audacity and found amusement in the comical situation.
Sounds like most CEOs of American corporations, one user said.
Lucky bugger! To stay home for 6 years and do what you like yet get paid is everyone’s dream, but not all of us are lucky, the second user commented.
They should keep paying him, give him a promotion, and fire all of his managers! The third user said.
I “worked” with a guy who never came to work. He would clock in, go to his other job and be back in time to clock out and show up on payday. He only got busted because he tried to do it at a third job, another shared.
His immediate supervisor or manager should also be fired for not knowing he was gone, someone commented.
In a video, she recounted how two police officers and a social worker showed up at her door for a wellness check, claiming someone had reported her failure to show up at work.
Despite not physically going to the office, Sheryl assured the authorities that she was actively engaged in her work duties.
The disturbing part was that the person who had called in the wellness check was not even an employee at her company, as Sheryl could not find the individual's name in the employee directory.
Fortunately, the police and social worker left after verifying that Sheryl was safe and sound.
However, the incident left her baffled and concerned about the motives behind this distressing act.
Social media users speculated about the possibility of stalking or a data breach, suggesting Sheryl report the incident to her HR department.
