Rhineland-Palatinate
Civil servant is said not to have worked from home for years – boss defends himself against allegations
The officer probably doesn’t face any legal consequences, but his boss does (symbolic image)
© Fabian Strauch / Picture Alliance
A senior civil servant in Rhineland-Palatinate is said to have received a salary for five years without working. The damage caused amounts to at least 350,000 euros. Now his boss is defending himself against the allegations that have arisen.
This case caused a stir at the beginning of the week: a senior civil servant in Rhineland-Palatinate is said to have spent five years in the home office without working. He was still awarded the full salary (also the star reported). The man from Betzdorf-Gebhardshain was employed by the responsible mayor in a staff position created especially for him in the construction and planning department. In total, this is said to have caused damage of around 350,000 euros.
The extremely unusual incident is currently being investigated by the municipal supervisory authority of the Altenkirchen district. The focus of the investigation is the background to the decision to transfer the employee to a new staff position. There is an accusation that the officer was simply sidelined for unknown reasons. After the media coverage of the last few days, the mayor of the district has now spoken out star and other media reported.
The head of the civil servant defends himself against allegations
The merger of the municipalities of Betzdorf and Gebhardshain turned out to be significantly “more demanding and time-consuming than expected,” according to the press release.
In addition, a serious illness would have put the supervisor out of action for 18 months during the affected period. In the meantime he would have been represented by a volunteer deputy. The supervisor would still like to be fully available to answer the questioning of the municipal supervisory authority.
If this survey shows that he is primarily responsible, the mayor would have to pay 350,000 euros for the damage caused, according to the municipal supervisory authority. It is still unclear whether he would have to pay the entire amount or only part of the sum.
During the work time
What private things can I do in the home office?
According to the supervisory authority, the employee himself does not face any consequences. He would have made his labor available – he just wasn’t given any tasks to complete. The first results of the investigation are expected in January.