Retiring man admits he 'did nothing for 14 years'

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.