A UK civil servant allegedly exploited the work-from-home culture to hold five government jobs simultaneously, using sick leave and false claims about his employment status to manage his workload, a court has heard. Kashim Chowdhury, 55, from Whitechapel in east London, is accused of fraudulently securing multiple full-time roles across government departments and public bodies between 2020 and 2023. Prosecutors told Southwark Crown Court that he was contracted to work 183 hours a week across five jobs at one point, exceeding the total number of hours in a seven-day week, Telegraph reported.
He held both positions simultaneously for more than a year. After leaving the council, Chowdhury continued working for Defra and secured additional roles with the Department of Health and Social Care, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the Department for Business and Trade, the Food Standards Agency and the Home Office. Prosecutors said Chowdhury began working for Tower Hamlets Council in February 2020 before taking a second job with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in April 2021. In 2022, he also worked for East London NHS Trust for four months.
Prosecutor Lucy Organ told the court that Chowdhury misrepresented his existing employment when applying for the positions. He also told employers that he needed to work from home to care for his unwell mother.
