Man Skipped Work for Six Years Unnoticed

Joaquin Garcia of Cadiz, Spain, was a civil servant assigned to supervise the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant. By Garcia’s account, he was the victim of political bullying and found himself assigned to a job where there was nothing to do. As a result, he  went for at least six years without going in to work, and no one noticed, until he became eligible for an award for his long employment.

Spanish newspapers have dubbed him "el funcionario fantasma" - the phantom official.
The court heard that the boss of the water company had not seen Mr Garcia for years despite occupying an office opposite his.
The water company thought he was supervised by the local authorities and vice versa.
The deputy mayor noticed his absence when Mr Garcia became eligible to receive a plaque for 20 years' service.

When the water company found out about Garcia, they levied a fine of €27,000 ($30,000) against him. That’s about a year’s salary, and the legal maximum they could demand. A judge upheld the fine against Garcia, who has since retired from his “non-job.”