VIENNA — An Austrian public servant was found juggling an astonishing 12 side jobs, as revealed in a damning report by the country’s Court of Audit published Friday, reported by OE24. The report highlights widespread failures in tracking secondary employment across federal ministries and regional governments.
Between 2020 and 2023, auditors examined staff management practices at Austria’s Ministry of Finance, the former Climate and Civil Service Ministries, and in the states of Burgenland and Upper Austria. None of the institutions could provide a complete list of side jobs held by their employees.
In a targeted review of 295 civil servants, the audit uncovered severe documentation flaws in nearly a third of cases. Missing records, vague time logs, and untraceable compensation for side work were frequent issues. In many cases, there was little or no proof that these jobs had been properly approved.
The scale of secondary employment was eye-catching: 64 employees held at least three side jobs each — averaging nearly five per person. Five staffers managed between eight and twelve. Most of these roles were supervisory board positions, particularly within the Finance Ministry.
One official reportedly earned €82,000 in 2022 from board duties alone. Alarmingly, 59% of those with multiple jobs had additional external employment, and nearly two-thirds held leadership roles in their main posts.
The Court of Audit warned that excessive side work could hinder performance in primary roles and called for unified national rules. It recommended that outside jobs only be compensated when performed outside official hours — a standard already enforced at the federal level.
The findings paint a troubling picture of oversight gaps within Austria’s public sector, raising urgent questions about transparency, accountability, and workload management.
