# Your best employee's résumé contains at least one huge lie. What do you do? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 16, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-best-employees-resume-contains-at-least-one-huge-lie-what-do-you-do/550423 "2010-08-16T16:43:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-best-employees-resume-contains-at-least-one-huge-lie-what-do-you-do/550423/41 "2010-08-18T12:29:57Z")
Unless the reason for the firing is a felonious offense against the previous employer, then let the sleeping dog lie. Getting canned for telling off his supervisor is one thing, but getting caught embezzling or being involved in bribery is another, and reason for concern. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-best-employees-resume-contains-at-least-one-huge-lie-what-do-you-do/550423/42 "2010-08-18T14:14:48Z")
> [@BlinkingDuck](#): > > Stellar employee? > > Been that way for years? > > Resume contains a lie? - Who cares. See above 2 lines. How about: Resume contains a lie? Been that way for years? Stellar employee? - Who cares. See above 2 lines. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-best-employees-resume-contains-at-least-one-huge-lie-what-do-you-do/550423/43 "2010-08-18T14:20:06Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > > [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > > > This raises the question: what are the odds that Mickey will end up going to work for two Skrulls in a row, never mind two that are in a relationship with each other? > > 😕 Given that they changed from Robin & Anne to Robert & Andrew in a very short period of time… ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-best-employees-resume-contains-at-least-one-huge-lie-what-do-you-do/550423/44 "2010-08-18T14:51:55Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > You obviously missed this bit: > > > [@](#): > > > > Any manager or HR person who knowingly helps hire or promote such an employee is also to be terminated; and while simply knowing about it and keeping quiet is not a firing offense, a manager who does such is liekly to be written up for it if it’s ever discovered that she knew, and that could hurt her chances for advancement. I fail to see how that is relevant at all. Either the HR manager didn’t check for some reason, or didn’t feel it necessary to do so in making their decision. I also fail to see how everyone doesn’t have plausible deniability in this instance. How is it going to “come out” that the boss knows? Is Mickey under investigation for something? What company is going to randomly re-investigate an employee’s background without cause? ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-best-employees-resume-contains-at-least-one-huge-lie-what-do-you-do/550423/45 "2010-08-19T10:05:35Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > > [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > > > Oh no you don’t. No chuckles or knowing grins without dishing. Closet or no closet, that’s against the lesbian code. > > Note to self: next time it’s Robert & Andrew, no question. But then you wouldn’t have attracted all these wonderful responses from horny dyke-porn fetishists. I don’t know how many gay-porn fetishists Robert & Andrew would have attracted, though, so you may have a point. Robin & Anne may be negatively impacting the thread. There’s an idea for your next poll thread… Don’t thank me, it’s the least I could do. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-best-employees-resume-contains-at-least-one-huge-lie-what-do-you-do/550423/46 "2010-08-19T10:26:25Z")
If I’m Robin, I voted “kick it upstairs.” But before I do that, I’d call Imagine (or whatever the other company is), tell them that I’m checking Mickey’s references, and ask them to confirm the date of employment. If the dates match his resume, I’d assume Anne was mistaken and let it go. After all, her truthfulness is not exactly stellar either. But if Anne’s correct, then Mickey’s got a date with the VP in his future. If I have knowledge, I have to act on it. It’s my job. It’s not my job to decide if Mickey stays or goes. I’m not going to put my job on the line for him. I’m not going to cover up for someone who’s already lied to me - no one ever just tells one lie. If I cover him, then both our jobs are suddenly on the line, and inevitably, shoes will fall. However, I would tell him in person what I had found out and the actions which I was instigating. If he had a good story, I might be willing to go to the VP with him and add a plea for clemency. I wouldn’t just rat him out behind his back. And then I’d dump Anne for outing Mickey even though she’s desperate to avoid being outed herself. Tattletales suck. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-best-employees-resume-contains-at-least-one-huge-lie-what-do-you-do/550423/47 "2010-08-19T10:42:26Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Her whole career was a fabrication. She had three months’ experience, not ten years. Yeah, see, _that’s_ a big lie. I’ve heard of other cases with fictional graduate degrees from schools the employee never attended. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-best-employees-resume-contains-at-least-one-huge-lie-what-do-you-do/550423/48 "2010-08-20T15:10:35Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > If I’m Robin, I voted “kick it upstairs.” > > But before I do that, I’d call Imagine (or whatever the other company is), tell them that I’m checking Mickey’s references, and ask them to confirm the date of employment. If the dates match his resume, I’d assume Anne was mistaken and let it go. After all, her truthfulness is not exactly stellar either. But if Anne’s correct, then Mickey’s got a date with the VP in his future. > > If I have knowledge, I have to act on it. It’s my job. It’s not my job to decide if Mickey stays or goes. I’m not going to put my job on the line for him. I’m not going to cover up for someone who’s already lied to me - no one ever just tells one lie. If I cover him, then both our jobs are suddenly on the line, and inevitably, shoes will fall. > > However, I would tell him in person what I had found out and the actions which I was instigating. If he had a good story, I might be willing to go to the VP with him and add a plea for clemency. I wouldn’t just rat him out behind his back. > > And then I’d dump Anne for outing Mickey even though she’s desperate to avoid being outed herself. Tattletales suck. I don’t see Anne as having deliberately outted Mickey. She doesn’t work for Nunya; how was she to know he lied (or had a typo) on his résumé? ---
**Author:** ![CutterJohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/91b2a8/32.png) [@CutterJohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CutterJohn)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-best-employees-resume-contains-at-least-one-huge-lie-what-do-you-do/550423/49 "2010-08-20T16:01:23Z")
He could have lie about actually having worked, gone to college, been an astronaut, etc\*… If he’s as good as the description I would quit before I allowed him to be fired. Resumes are handy for weeding through massive piles of applicants. Once the job starts, all that matters is if they can or can’t hack it. \*For most things. If he lied about going to med school and is now a doctor, I’d be slightly less happy. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-best-employees-resume-contains-at-least-one-huge-lie-what-do-you-do/550423/50 "2010-08-20T16:08:19Z")
> [@CutterJohn](#): > > He could have lie about actually having worked, gone to college, been an astronaut, etc\*… **If he’s as good as the description I would quit before I allowed him to be fired.** Resumes are handy for weeding through massive piles of applicants. Once the job starts, all that matters is if they can or can’t hack it. > > \*For most things. If he lied about going to med school and is now a doctor, I’d be slightly less happy. 😃 (bolding mine) What possible good would your quitting do? I mean, you have the option of appealing to the VP and arguing Mickey’s case; why have you any further obligation? It’s not like he lost an arm saving your life during the war. ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-best-employees-resume-contains-at-least-one-huge-lie-what-do-you-do/550423/51 "2010-08-20T18:33:03Z")
This particular scenario is a no-brainer to me: pretending not to know about the lie is the only reasonable choice. That wouldn’t always be the case, but factoring in the excellent performance, the magnitude of the lie (manipulation of dates versus blatant making up of a job or credential) and messy consequences of attempting to explain how you got this information means that doing nothing would be the best course. If the lie was more elaborate I wouldn’t be so quick to answer. If they had made up a university degree, complete with forged paperwork, I’d be more inclined to fire them. An elaborate fraud attempt is reasonable cause for concern about what they might do with increased responsibility, and that lack of trust could be a deal breaker. It may even cause me to question their perfect performance. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-best-employees-resume-contains-at-least-one-huge-lie-what-do-you-do/550423.md?page=2)