The Hidden Pain of an Honest Employee: A 1930 Letter

A thought-provoking text has emerged from the past, raising questions about honesty and its rewards in the public sector. A letter of complaint, written in a 1930 newspaper, presents the "hidden pain" of an honest employee.

The author of the letter, a retired civil servant, expresses his disappointment in his choice to serve the state with honesty and integrity for forty years. He states that, despite the opportunities he had to get rich, he chose to remain honest, but at the end of his career he received a meager pension that is not enough for the needs of his family.

The employee expresses his bitterness at the fact that he received no recognition or gratitude for his honesty, while his colleagues who chose fraud and abuse enjoy honors and attentions. Even his children, he says, blame him for his inability to secure a better future for them.

Thomas Sitaras, an Athenian historian and writer, wonders if this letter could have been written today, in 2025, highlighting the timelessness of the problem.