Dear J.T. & Dale: A co-worker who just got a promotion got drunk one night and confessed that he lied about his education on his resume. Should I tell? — Kim
Dale: If the lie represents any danger to the public or the company — for instance, a situation where he’s making calculations for the construction of a bridge — then your obligation to step forward is clear.
J.T.: If not, then my answer is no. If the company didn’t take the appropriate steps to confirm his degree, then it’s their own fault. While it may be frustrating for you to know that he got the job by lying, I assure you it eventually will come back to haunt him. There are numerous examples of successful professionals who have had their lies revealed, and who not only got fired, but lost professional credibility. You might gain a job, but you lose a career. Your co-worker will learn this soon enough.
Jeanine “J.T.†Tanner O’Donnell is a professional development specialist and founder of the consulting firm jtodonnell.com. Dale Dauten’s latest book is “(Great) Employees Only: How Gifted Bosses Hire and De-Hire Their Way to Success†(John Wiley & Sons). Please visit them at jtanddale.com, where you can send questions via e-mail, or write to them in care of King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10019.
© 2008 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
