Finance

The Ghost Employee: How One Man Collected a Six-Figure Salary Without Working for Seven Months

2025-09-14

Author: Liam

A Real-Life Comedy of Errors

What sounds like a plot from a sitcom is, shockingly, a true story. Picture this: an American employee hired by one of the world's largest property firms has been collecting a hefty paycheck without ever doing a single day of work. For seven long months, he's been forgotten, living the dream of an office worker's fantasy.

The Start of an Unlikely Situation

The saga begins when this employee, who resides on the East Coast, lands an administrative role with a major international property company. However, just as he was gearing up for his first day, the manager who recruited him was unceremoniously let go. The fallout? He was left with no assignments and no team to call home.

A Day One Like No Other

On his first day, instead of being welcomed into a new role, he was met by colleagues from different departments who merely led him to an empty office. Ever since, he’s been stationed behind his former manager's desk, an unclaimed ship adrift at sea. Despite his efforts to reach out to other managers, his pleas fell on deaf ears—none seemed interested in his predicament.

Clocking In: The Art of Doing Nothing

Even amidst this organizational chaos, the employee consistently clocks in and out three days a week, working from home the other two. His only task? Compiling weekly salary calculation sheets to send to a superior—tasks that take a mere 15 minutes each week. The rest of his time? He spends it reading, watching videos, or simply indulging in the luxury of doing nothing at all. "I’m a confirmed slacker," he boldly confessed on Reddit. "I don’t even feel like doing this job, so a second one? Definitely not!"

Is This Just the Tip of the Iceberg?

His viral Reddit post has ignited discussions on a glaring flaw in corporate structures. While he might be an extreme case, he's not alone. Reports indicate that major companies like Meta have recruited engineers during the pandemic—without assigning them a single task—merely to keep their talent from the competition.

A Wake-Up Call for Corporate America

The situation has also been observed in Spain, where audits have uncovered employees listed as active but doing absolutely nothing due to lack of oversight. How can this happen? How can a company overlook an employee's existence for months? This raises serious questions about HR practices and mass recruitment strategies, prompting us to rethink how large organizations manage their workforce.

Living the Dream or Stuck in a Nightmare?

While he awaits his eventual 'discovery,' our ghost employee is living an unusual life of comfort and ease, drawing a salary with no responsibilities. His story stands as an ironic testament to a system that sometimes forgets even its own. Welcome to the modern workplace, where the lines between productivity and idleness are increasingly blurred.