Zurich city employees were paid double their wages in February due to a computer error. Many people take the incident with humor, even though they have to pay back the overpaid amount.
Around 30,000 employees received double payments “on Monday morning due to a technical error,” according to a statement from the city of Zurich's finance department. The overpaid amount was 175 million Swiss francs (268 million Canadian dollars).
The bank that processes payments for city employees has apologized. However, employees are required to refund the overpaid amount, the press release said.
The error comes from the software of a Swisscom provider that is currently “conducting an investigation,” as the telecom operator stated.
“Many employees took it with humor,” Claudia Naegeli, the city’s communications manager, told AFP on Tuesday. Some asked if this was “a pilot project for a fourteenth month salary.” Others wrote to the bank: “Thank you very much. “Please do it again,” she gave as an example.
The bank is currently working with the city to find a solution so that reimbursement can be made as easily as possible, according to the press release.