Absenteeism | Employee accused of missing work for 15 years, costing £400k

A hospital employee has been accused of skipping work on full pay for 15 years, with reports alleging that he stopped turning up to work in 2005 - the BBC reported.

Based in Italy at the Ciaccio hospital in the southern city of Catanzaro, the employee is now being investigated for fraud, extortion and abuse of office, Italian news agency Ansa stated.

The worker was reportedly paid £464,000 (€538,000) in total over the years he was believed not to be working, while six managers who are based at the hospital are also being investigated in connection with the alleged absenteeism.

The arrests come following a long police investigation into the absenteeism and suspected fraud in the Italian public sector.