Checco was born into a life of relative comfort and privilege among his peers in his small town in southern Italy. He is one of the lucky few to have a ''posto fisso,'' or guaranteed job as a public servant. When a new reformist government vows to cut down on bureaucracy, Checco is forced to accept ever-worsening public-sector postings in order to maintain his guaranteed pay, benefits, and lifetime employment. Mrs. Sironi is a representative of the new government who is tasked with downsizing the public sector by offering buyouts to targeted government employees in exchange for their resignation (''see'' constructive dismissal). She takes a special interest in Checco who eventually becomes the last resilient holdout, no matter what hellish place he is appointed he finds rays of hope and won't surrender his public employee status.