Shock as doctor found frequenting bars and salons during hospital hours: payroll drama in Bressanone reaches the courts
The curious case of the disappearing doctor
When you think of someone who takes their work-life balance seriously, you probably don’t imagine a doctor clocking in at a hospital in northern Italy only to clock right out…to a bar, a hair salon, or a rendezvous with their spouse. Sounds like the premise of an offbeat sitcom, but, as Corriere della Sera reports, it’s just another day in the life of the now-dismissed physician from the Bressanone hospital.
The doctor’s unusual schedule didn’t simply involve the odd long lunch break. According to official findings, between February 2023 and October 2024, the physician managed a staggering 24 unexcused absences. That’s 48 hours and 15 minutes—just over two full days—of missed work, all while continuing to draw a salary as if nothing had happened. Punch in, disappear, punch out. Who could have guessed the magic trick was invisible work?
How the doctor tried to explain it all away
Caught red-handed (or perhaps red-badged), the doctor offered a series of explanations for these mysterious periods away from the hospital. First, there was the plea of good faith: he claimed his only intention by returning in the evening was to register the end of his shift, presumably to keep the system tidy. Now, that’s a novel approach to timekeeping—one payroll managers around the globe will surely envy.
For other absences, he changed tack, saying he was diligently learning German to secure the bilingual certificate necessary to keep his job in this multilingual region of Italy. An admirable goal! The doctor insisted that his supervisors had even approved him to follow these courses remotely, especially during quiet service hours, and thoughtfully from home to benefit from better Internet. If only his digital presence had matched his story…
Alas, the investigation poked holes in his claims. The Deutsche Schule, responsible for issuing these language credentials, provided attendance records that didn’t match up with his periods of absence from the hospital. Even after earning his diploma—a proud academic moment that took place on August 27, 2024—the absences continued until October without apparent justification.
Where did all those working hours go?
The story only gets more colorful. According to court findings, the doctor wasn’t simply buried under textbooks or glued to an e-learning portal during these absences. The tribunal noted that he made good use of his newfound freedom to drive his children to the hairdresser and to visit public places with his wife. Yes, bars did make the list. It seems the local watering holes and family salons of Bressanone were the ultimate winners in this real-life doctor’s escape act.
- 24 recorded unexcused absences
- 48 hours and 15 minutes of missing work time
- Absences persisted both before and after a German language diploma was obtained
- Official documentation from language school did not correspond to claimed absences
- Reported visits included bars and hair salons during supposed working hours
A costly detour: consequences in the spotlight
The fallout came in both professional and financial form. The hospital terminated the doctor’s contract, and the courts ordered him to pay his former employer a hefty sum: 23,000 euros, of which 20,000 euros were classified as compensation for moral damages—essentially, the embarrassment and public scrutiny unleashed by the media’s eager reporting on the debacle.
Being the talk of the town is rarely worth this kind of price tag. The case stands as a reminder that clocking in and out isn’t just a ritual; the time in between matters too. Maybe next time, it’s best to save the family errands and nightcaps for after the actual work is done.
