Yesterday marked the day of our long-awaited staff audit—a necessary process designed to root out "ghost workers," those who are paid but never show up for work. It’s an important initiative aimed at ensuring accountability, though some staff still manage to manipulate the system, often slipping through by offering bribes.
The audit was originally scheduled a couple of weeks ago. Since it happens every three months, it was meant to take place earlier, but the date coincided with our vacation. The auditor had to push the date forward, not just once but twice. The second reschedule was eventually cancelled for reasons no one explained, leaving many of us uncertain about when it would finally happen.
As part of the audit process, there are strict requirements: a filled form, two passport photos, a staff ID card, documentation, and a payslip for the most recent month. In anticipation of the audit, I made sure to gather everything needed. I visited a photographer for passport photos and printed out all my essential documents.
The audit was slated for 9 a.m., and I knew it would take me about an hour and a half to get to work, so I left home at 6:50 a.m. As luck would have it, right after I boarded the bus, the rain started—heavy rain, the kind that makes you wonder if anything will run on time. My office, which also doubles as the local government centre, was hosting the audit for the entire area.
To be sincere, the rain caused delays. By the time the auditor arrived, it was already 11 a.m., two hours late. Once they showed up, though, everything kicked off immediately. Unfortunately, my friend, who had rushed to make it, didn’t arrive in time for her audit. She wasn’t alone in missing out, so the auditor scheduled a follow-up the next day in a neighbouring local government area.
Later that evening, I got a strange call from another friend since she didn't use her phone number. She had left her documents at the photocopy store—her promotion letter, her appointment letter, everything crucial to her employment. Without those documents, her audit would be a disaster. The moment she hung up, I rushed out to retrieve them for her. When I arrived at the store, I was shocked. She wasn’t the only one. Five other people had left behind vital papers, ranging from promotion letters to appointment documents.
I managed to recover her appointment letter and sighed in relief, realizing how easily things could have gone wrong for her. If those documents had been lost, her future in the job would’ve been at serious risk.