Civil Servant Admits Working More Hours Than Exist in a Week Was 'Impossible'

A civil servant on trial for allegedly holding multiple government positions admitted that working the contracted hours for his jobs, which at one point exceeded the total hours in a week, was impossible. Kashim Chowdhury, 55, is accused of exploiting the post-Covid work-from-home environment to secure overlapping roles across various government departments between February 2020 and September 2023.

Chowdhury worked for departments including the Food Standards Agency, the Home Office, and the Department for Business and Trade, accumulating a salary of £349,378. At the peak of his alleged employment, he was contracted for 183 hours per week, a figure higher than the 168 hours available in a seven-day period.

Appearing at Southwark Crown Court, Chowdhury stated that he had special arrangements with his managers that allowed him to complete tasks rather than adhere to strict contracted hours. Prosecutor Lucy Organ presented the discrepancy, noting the impossibility of working 183 hours in a week. Chowdhury responded, "Yes, it is impossible."

When questioned about whether his ability to fulfill duties at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) was affected, Chowdhury disagreed. He explained that his work was primarily output-based, not time-based, and that managers had agreed to flexible arrangements allowing him to complete projects during evenings and weekends. He claimed these arrangements were due to his mother's care responsibilities, not because managers were aware of his other jobs.

Chowdhury also admitted that an employment declaration stating he had finished working at Tower Hamlets Council in June 2020 was subsequently false because he remained employed there. He acknowledged that the declaration became "contractually false" and that he did not correct it, denying it was to secure multiple full-time jobs. He also conceded that he did not inform a Defra manager about his full-time employment at Tower Hamlets, anticipating he might lose his jobs if the overlap was discovered.

The prosecutor challenged Chowdhury on starting a Home Office job while on sick leave from Defra, questioning how he was able to begin the new role if he was unfit for work. Chowdhury stated he had arrangements in place and had initially declined the Home Office position. He also noted that not all employers required a sick note. He claimed that working had served as a coping mechanism for his deteriorating mental health, which he attributed to insecure employment and his mother's declining health. Chowdhury denies nine counts of fraud. The trial is ongoing.