Government employees investigated for blatant absenteeism

An investigation has been launched over alleged reports of dishonest absenteeism for over one-third of local government employees in the Italian resort of Sanremo.

Following an internal investigation it emerged that staff had been routinely cheating the time management system in place. Using secret surveillance, local authorities found evidence of husbands 'clocking in' their wives time cards.

There was even one instance of a colleague who reported to be at work when he was actually canoeing, according to The Guardian.

196 workers from a total of 528 are under suspicion, with 35 being placed under temporary house arrest.