900 Kuwaiti public sector workers suspended over poor attendance

A Kuwaiti public sector employee managed to avoid coming into work while still receiving his salary, it has been reported.

The government sector worker was one of 900 employees caught flouting attendance regulations during a mass crack-down on absenteeism.

The workers have since had there salaries suspended pending investigations, local daily Al Rai reported.

One employee was said to have spent 18 months abroad without presenting any form of excuses or notification about his absence.

When asked to explain his absence, he said that his boss did not ask about him throughout the year and a half he did not show up at work.

Employees whose salaries were frozen over their blatant absenteeism or irregular attendance are said to be fighting the suspensions.

However, the government is reported to be standing its ground in combatting the phenomenon plaguing public departments.

This is not the first time absenteeism within the public sector has hit headlines.

Kuwait’s Annual Leave Report, covering the period between January and March 2011, reveals half of the state’s employees were absent from work under various excuses, costing the country’s treasury more than KD10.5 million (Dh139.2 million).

In August this year, nine UAE government employees were sacked by Sheikh Mohammed, after the Dubai ruler conducted an office spot-check and found the officials absent without leave.