My Employee Lied on His Resume – Can I Fire Him?

It isn’t unusual for candidates to put their best foot forward when applying for an open position. Embellishments on a resume aren’t unheard of and people may even stretch the truth slightly when constructing a resume. Wanting to impress management isn’t horrible, however outright lies on a resume are wrong. If you hire a new employee and later found out he lied on his resume, do you have the right to fire him?

Fireable Offense

Many organizations do have policies in place that allow managers to fire employees for lying on a resume. If your organization has such a policy then you can fire the employee and upper management will support your decision. If your company doesn’t have such a policy, however, you may still be able to justify letting the worker go.

Untrustworthy Employees

One justification you can offer for firing an employee who lied on his resume is that he is untrustworthy. If he is willing to lie to you to get the job, how can the company know he won’t lie to clients to obtain a sale? You can’t put the reputation of your organization at risk from the actions of one dishonest person.

No Moral Code

If the person is comfortable with lying, this may indicate that he is also willing to steal, cheat or perform other immoral acts in order to succeed in his career. Someone who will stop at nothing to get ahead may not think that embezzling, forging sales numbers or pressuring clients is wrong if it gets him what he wants. Your company isn’t going to want this type of person as an employee and will support you if you want to fire him once his deceit is discovered.

Sends the Wrong Message

If other employees find out that your new hire lied on his resume and you didn’t fire him, it will send the wrong message. Your company doesn’t want workers to believe that it is okay to lie to management, clients or co-workers. By firing the new employee, you will make it clear to everyone in the organization that lying isn’t tolerated and perpetrators will be penalized when discovered.

Consistency is Needed

If your company allows you to fire the employee who lied on his resume, then your organization needs to create a policy and be consistent in its enforcement. Not only will this help employees understand your company’s perspective on lying, it will also help if the fired employee tries to file a lawsuit.

Maintain Records

While your company may believe lying is a fireable offense, this doesn’t prevent a disgruntled employee from filing a lawsuit. It is important to maintain all records regarding the employee’s performance, how the lie was discovered, and how the situation was handled after the discovery of the falsehood. This information will prove that the firing was justified and help defend the organization.
Lying on a resume isn’t an acceptable method of obtaining a new position. Sometimes, however it is difficult to research a candidate’s history to ensure information on their resume is accurate. If you are looking to hire new employees in the Denver area, contact Job Store. We have a database of vetted candidates and can help you research potential employees for an open position.

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