To start, humor me for a second. How many angry internet comments about the above image do you think we'll receive? "'Congratulation'? What kind of publication doesn't proofread their images?!" Guys, the fact that it's misspelled is part of the joke. Live a little! Take a walk outside and get some fresh air! Anyway, we have a Working Class King(TM) to discuss!
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Let's chat about Joaquín the Invisible! Joaquín García over in Spain lived the true American Dream many of us could only invent in our most fanciful daydreams. Per BBC, García is (or was) a 69-year-old building supervisor for a water treatment plant. He'd been employed by the local government for over 20 years, and he was tired. Tired of the stressful working conditions, tired of the workplace politicking, noise, and nonsense.
So, he decided he was going to stop showing up for work! And got away with it -- getting paid his full salary for the six years he went unnoticed. This man was receiving the equivalent of $41,500 per year to not work. He won the game of capitalism -- um, I mean, life! But that's not the best and funniest part of this story. Okay, maybe it's the best, but here's the funny.
He was only caught because he was nominated for an award for all his wonderful years of service. You couldn't write a more poetic situation if you tried! The newspapers over in Spain gave García the coolest nickname when they reported on this incredible story. "El Funcionario Fantasma." Roughly, "The Phantom Official."
A Man Stops Coming To Work For Over Six Years Before He's Hilariously Caught
Sadly, this story has a bittersweet ending. Well, unless you love capitalism, I guess. When García was found out, he was fined $30,000, which is the maximum he could've possibly been penalized for. García denied wrongdoing, and he even launched a petition contesting the fine! Another part of the tale I adore? They didn't fire him! When everything came to light, García retired.
It's a motivational story! I know you "pull yourself up by your bootstraps and work" people are out there, scoffing, mad that this man gamed the system. But right now, many people in the company you currently work for are doing far less work for much more money. Under that lens, I ask you: who's the real fool at the end of the day?
