Fuengirola town hall is hiring private detectives to root out skiving civil servants, it has emerged.
The drastic decision has been made following a spike in people going on sick leave while retaining 100% of their salaries.
Deputy Mayor Rodrigo Romero defended the move following backlash online, arguing that absenteeism – currently at around 10% of staff – is costing the local government up to €2million per year.
‘Last year we spent up to two million euros on sick leave – half a million from the City Council and one and a half million from Social Security,’ Romero explained.
‘That money comes from taxpayers. Our mission is to make sure it is spent properly.’
The investigators will work entirely in the shadows – no names, no public profiles and no interaction with other municipal staff.
A small-scale contract for private detectives worth under €18,000 has already been put out to tender.
Their job is to catch municipal employees on sick leave engaging in activities incompatible with their declared illnesses – including visiting their homes.
‘This is about preventing cheaters from cheating,’ added Romero.
According to Fuengirola town hall, the measure is fully legal and has passed scrutiny from all the necessary legal departments.
It’s not the first time Fuengirola has used detectives, nor is it unique, as other administrations have done the same in the past, including the Malaga Provincial Council in the 1980s and the Alcorcon City Council in Madrid.
The move comes amid a reported absenteeism rate of around 10% among municipal staff.
In addition to detectives, the town hall has sought reports from the labour and health experts to explore measures that might improve worker well-being.
Under the current collective agreement, municipal employees on sick leave receive 100% of their salary, a point the government team says makes oversight all the more necessary to reassure residents that resources are not being misused.
One civil servant named Eli told Antena 3: ‘No one should worry if they are honest – I don’t see the problem.’
His colleague Jose Luis agreed, adding: ‘It’s not a control measure for everyone, only for specific cases.’
Nationally, the cost of sick leave in Spain has surged by nearly 80% over the past seven years.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
