Action Against Ministry Officials For Unjustified Absences - HALLELUJAH

Six civil servants at the interior ministry have been referred to the ministry's disciplinary board by Ioannis Mihelakis for lengthy and unjustified absence from work, while an additional three ministry employees have been summoned to answer to various disciplinary offences. Certainly a small number indeed, since most public sector workers in Greece are champions at skipping work and anyone who has ever dealt with the public sector only knows this too well. Nonetheless, it is a step in the right direction and it is high-time that the State begins cracking down at this foolish behavior since it costs taxpayers millions of Euros every year.

One case was particularly interesting. Among the frequent absentees, was a female employee who had been absent from her job without leave for more than TWO YEARS, or from January 2011 until March 2013. During this time she was being paid every month and enjoyed all the benefits that public sector workers do. What is even more horrifying is that during her absence, this same employee served as a president in a municipal public-sector law company, even though this was incompatible with her role as a civil servant.

Another case involves another employee who was absent without leave for seven months, or between January 2012 until July 2012, and in the six months from June 2011 and November 2011 had not worked the required number of hours.

The other accused civil servants had been either absent or failed to work a full day for periods ranging from seven months to 42 days, while two employees were found through spot checks conducted in November 2012 to have deviated by eight to 10 hours from their full working time in that month.

Also facing called to provide explanations is an employee who failed to check whether colleagues were absent and not completing their full working hours and for failing to inform the appropriate authorities so that the salaries of the employees involved might be cut accordingly.