Yesterday, I started a new job. During the facility tour the trainer was giving us, I was spotted by “Bill”. Bill is a former coworker from a previous job from a different employer and he asked me to sign a document stating that he referred me to this job. If I sign this and both of us are still working here 6 months from now, Bill get $500 dollars from management for his (supposed) help in getting me to work there. Bill of course did no such thing. I have not seen him in over a year, did not know he was working there when I applied for the job and wouldn’t have cared if I did. Bill did absolutely nothing to earn that referral fee. On top of that, at our last job together, Bill was frankly kind of a jerk. I’ll admit he was good at the job but he was also arrogant in an impatient, shouty, aggressive manner.
Pure honesty would compel me to deny this with a simple “no, sorry” with no further explanation required.
On the other hand, I don’t have anyone else more deserving set up to collect that referral fee, it’s no skin off my nose if he gets it and I see no value in denying this without cause. The only upside to saying “no” that I can see is the petty joy of annoying someone who previously annoyed me.
Would you help Bill get this $500 fee? Maybe with a 50/50 split?
I would definitely want to say “look, we both know you’ve done nothing to earn this fee, but give me $100 and I’ll sign it. I don’t guarantee I’ll stay 6 months, although I’ve no current plans to leave. If I do, you’ll be out the $100, that’s just your risk”
I doubt I would though. I’d probably just sign it to just avoid conflict.
I voted other, because Bill shouldn’t get the money, but I would just sign anyway to avoid conflict. Better to start my new job off with good feelings from my coworker instead of having him hate my guts for being a selfish a-hole.
Won’t the company know you weren’t referred by Bill? I wouldn’t sign it, you could both end up unemployed. Maybe if you have some plausible reason but it sounds like there’s not the least bit of evidence Bill was involved. I’ve collected referrals a couple of times, each time directly giving HR the prospect’s resume.
I’m disinclined to tell a falsehood to justify my choices or to help others profit from that falsehood. This is especially true when no justification is IMHO required. Bill is imposing his wishes on me uninvited. The fact that it doesn’t cost me time, money or effort doesn’t make Bill right.
Saying yes to Bill will involve you lying in writing to your employer, right? That seems like a bad idea on its face. Was there anything on the employment application about how you heard about the job? You might have given an answer there (if only by leaving it blank) that contradicts what you are about to attest to.
I would tell Bill that my price for lying to my employer is more than he can afford.
How I heard about the job is easy, they’re advertising for help like mad. Right now they’re running nearly 1,300 people on three shifts and are looking to double that in the next 18-24 months. That’s a metric XXXload of new hires for the central Nebraska labor pool. Pretty much the only requirement for employment the the ability to pass a drug test and fog a mirror.
Honesty really is the best policy in the vast majority of normal interactions. There are some unusual circumstances in which the moral answer is to be dishonest, or in which dishonesty is neither moral nor immoral, but this doesn’t sound like one of these. It’d be lying for ill gotten gains, even if it’s relatively minor. I’d just say “I’m not comfortable with that”, and leave it there.
I wouldn’t go out of my way to help a jerk. Including signing my name. Besides, in a few years when you are his boss you can fire the jerk for doing jerkish things. Worth far more than $500. Of course, if it turns out that he is your boss in a couple of years, he’ll probably fire you, because he’s a jerk. But at least you won’t have a jerk boss for long.
The upside is you might get $100 or $250, the downside is you might lose your job if someone finds out. Chances are you’re making more that $250 a week & won’t have a new job the next in less time than income lost from being out of work; not a gamble I’d take.
Most referrals require submitting names in advance of interviews or hiring. I’d be really surprised if that is not the case.
The money is trivial versus losing your job.
I would say something like “dude, I’m already hired. If you had asked me during the process, sure. I’m not comfortable with this now that I’m hired. But hey, good to see you, let me buy you lunch or a beer or something.” Even if he’s a dick, it’s prolly worth lunch just to learn his take on the company.