A no-show job is a paid position that ostensibly requires the holder to perform duties, but for which no work, or even attendance, is actually expected. The awarding of no-show jobs is a form of political or corporate corruption.
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Organized crime and corruption
The New York Times has written: "The no-show job has long played a central role in the annals of crime and corruption in New York, offering an efficient way for crooked politicians, union officials, mobsters and all manner of miscreants to funnel kickbacks and bribes to friends, family members, business associates and even themselves." Philip Carlo, in his biography of Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso, writes that no-show jobs are "a classic Mafia setup" and that such positions were highly prized among mobsters. A 2012 report of the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor found that "no-show jobs held by relatives of mobsters and other well-connected people continue to vex government officials trying to make the ports more efficient and more competitive."
In the past, no-show jobs were also an aspect of corruption in Boston and Chicago.
Corporate fraud
In the corporate world, "no-show" employees—also called ghost employees—usually have some family or personal relationship to a supervisor. In the corporate world, this is considered a type of payroll fraud. Fraud audits seek to detect such practices.