How one Australian man skipped 140 days of work by using an empty crisp packet

An Australian electrician dodged 140 times in just two years thanks to a leftover crisp packet.

The Perth local was eventually sacked from his job. It was ruled by Australia's Fair Work Commission last week that the decision was justified. He was reportedly using the time off to improve his golf game.

And all it took him to get away with it was an empty Twisties (an Australian crisp brand) packet. Armed with a personal digital assistant, which also tracks the location of employees, the man used the packet to create a Faraday Cage.

Discovered by Scottish scientist Michael Faraday in 1836, the Faraday Cage can block out electro-magnetic signals from reaching electronics, such as the personal digital assistant. The foil of the crisp packet managed to block his location, keeping his employers thinking he was working.

Fair Work commissioner Bernie Riordan said using the foil package made it clear the electrician did not want to be tracked and labelled his scheme "mischievous", according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

He was eventually caught out by an anonymous letter that revealed to his employer he was playing golf at least once a week. The letter included records from the club as proof. The company followed up the tip and checked the electronic gate register to see if he was present on certain days. Sure enough, the gate log backed up the letter's allegations.

Bird cages, microwaves and aeroplanes are all examples of Faraday Cages.