Retiring Man Admits He 'Did Nothing for 14 Years'

The Local ^ | 11 Apr 12

[nickcarraway]

A German state employee got one last hurrah when he sent a farewell email to 500 colleagues detailing how he had been paid €745,000 for “doing nothing”.

He said he had been “present, but not really there” for the 14 years he had been employed as an engineer at a state surveying office in North Rhine-Westphalia, Die Welt newspaper reported.

Parallel structures of the organisation and shuffling around of work constantly left him with an empty in-tray.

“I am entering retirement fully prepared,” he wrote in the email, before stating exactly how much he had been paid during his career of keeping his desk warm - €745,000.

The 65-year-old thought he had had the last word before heading out of the office door for the last time – except his email was leaked to the regional media and he is now the focus of some attention.

“I do not wish to say anything else,” he told local paper Westfalen Post on Wednesday. “That email was not intended for public view.”

The mayor of Menden, where he worked, has expressed his disappointment and said he felt a “considerable pinch of rage” when he saw the email, as the man had not once complained to the staff council about not having enough to do.

“This kind of behaviour is very telling,” he said, adding that he will not be taking the incident any further.

Menden town council has had to make considerable budget cuts, which has seen the man’s former job eliminated.

[Rocky]

A state employee who did nothing for 14 years. Why is this news?

LOL. Not exactly a man bites dog story, is it?

[Gay State Conservative]

My brother was a state paycheck recipient in a large,Rat-controlled state.He worked there for 10 years in order to get social security (from previous jobs) *and* a juicy state pension and a solid gold,completely free,lifetime,post-retirement health plan.He used to laugh about how little he and those around him did.As one might suspect,yes,he's a democrat (I won't call my own brother a “Rat”).

[Cowgirl of Justice]

Chucky needs a ‘bro’ and needs to get rid of that rainbow lanyard.

I am sure Rep. Beans ‘n Franks thinks Chucky looks ‘wonderfully’ gay.

[mjp]

the man had not once complained to the staff council about not having enough to do.

phlegmatic temperment

[healy61]

Ha. The Michigan Department of Motor Vehicles could teach this guy a lot. He should wander into the SOS offices sometimes. He would be stunned.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Working for the New York City Department of Parks as a summer parkman during summer vacation during my high school days completely and permanently cured me of any socialist leanings and respect for civil servants.

[TheBattman]

Sounds like a lot of government employees here in the US!

[dfwgator]

Bob Slydell: You see, what we're actually trying to do here is, we're trying to get a feel for how people spend their day at work... so, if you would, would you walk us through a typical day, for you?

Peter Gibbons: Yeah.

Bob Slydell: Great.

Peter Gibbons: Well, I generally come in at least fifteen minutes late, ah, I use the side door - that way Lumbergh can't see me, heh heh - and, uh, after that I just sorta space out for about an hour.

Bob Porter: Da-uh? Space out?

Peter Gibbons: Yeah, I just stare at my desk; but it looks like I'm working. I do that for probably another hour after lunch, too. I'd say in a given week I probably only do about fifteen minutes of real, actual, work.

[thatjoeguy]

And exactly who’s fault is this?

[hal ogen]

Tell you brother I would happily call him a RAT.

[Secret Agent Man]

Would be sad if he just keeled over tomorrow morning. /sarc

[citizen]

He is the model Obama gub’mint union employee.

[boop]

Bart: "Grandpa didn't you wonder why you were getting a check for doing absolutely nothing?"

Grandpa Simpson: "I figured because the democrats were back in power."