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Brief joy with the monthly statement (symbolic image): Double salary will soon be demanded back
Photo: skynesher / Getty Images
Due to a "technical processing error" at the Zürcher Kantonalbank, around 30,000 employees of the Zurich city administration received two monthly salaries this week - a total of 175 million Swiss francs or the equivalent of 183 million euros.
The city is now demanding the money back.
On the one hand, the legal situation seems clear: the state-owned cantonal bank is to blame for the incident, but the recipients of the money are responsible for repayment.
But the city administration cannot simply have the money returned; the employees have to take action themselves.
The error becomes a bureaucratic hurdle.
Refund by post
As the “Neue Zürcher Zeitung” reports, the city administration now wants to send a letter by post explaining the situation and submitting the repayment.
To ensure that there are no further mishaps during the return transfer, the letter is also enclosed with a QR code containing the payment information.
It is still unclear what deadline should apply for repayment.
“Many employees took it with humor,” reported city spokeswoman Claudia Naegeli.
Some had jokingly asked whether it was “a pilot project for the payment of a 14th month’s salary.”
Others wrote messages to the bank: “Thank you.
And please do it again.”
tmk/AFP