Work until the doctor comes—or the opposition?
In the small Spanish town of Marín in Galicia, a civil servant is currently making headlines—and sparking heated discussions in the town hall. The reason: according to official figures, the employee is said to have accumulated a total of 1,405 hours of overtime in 2025. That equates to around 6.5 additional hours—per working day! If you're now incredulously reaching for your calculator, you're not alone: as Focus magazine now reports, the political opposition considers the whole thing "practically impossible to believe."
A spokesperson for the opposition summed it up succinctly: "He earned more from overtime than from his regular work." One might be tempted to think of this as creative salary optimization.
Left alone—and worked through
But there is also an explanation: the mayor of Marín, María Ramallo (People's Party), publicly acknowledged the case. The employee was part of a team that normally consists of three people – but in 2025, he had to work alone due to one person being on sick leave and another retiring. Ramallo defended the move by pointing out the need to continue fulfilling legal obligations – even with a shortage of staff.
Does that really explain the figures? 1,405 hours of overtime actually equates to almost twice a full-time position—and that over an entire year. No weekends, no sick days, no vacation? That doesn't seem realistic.
What does German labor law actually say about this?
By way of comparison, the situation in Germany is clearly regulated. The daily working time is limited by law to eight hours—in exceptional cases, it may be ten hours if compensated for in a timely manner. Overtime is not a bottomless pit, but is limited by law and specified in collective agreements or employment contracts. Permanent overtime over months or even years would be a case for the works council—or the labor inspectorate—in Germany.
Incidentally, Spain also has working time laws. Whether the case in Marín is compatible with these laws remains to be seen, as the media hype could lead to further investigations.
Comment: Hero of labor or hero of reckoning?
1,405 hours of overtime – that sounds either like a real superhero in office or a billing miracle with perfect timing. The fact that the employee is said to have earned more from overtime than from his regular salary inevitably raises doubts. When there is a shortage of staff, management must step in – not individuals who are under constant stress. The fact that a city administration allows this to happen is not a sign of commitment, but of organizational failure. Those who tolerate such conditions do not need new employees – they need new structures.
Source: focus.de
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