Another Look at Resume Fraud

In a post yesterday, I used the current controversy surrounding Richard Blumenthal, candidate for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut, to consider the issue of resume fraud sometimes confronted by employers. He’s accused of lying about his military record, though his situation is strange. More times than not, he told the truth. At times, it seems he didn’t. This situation as applied to the workplace deserves further consideration.

As noted in yesterday’s post, resume fraud isn’t always as clear-cut as it sounds. Resume fraud is also more difficult to address with a current employee than it is with an applicant. Blumenthal’s case is more like that of a current employee. He’s been in an elected government position for decades. The seemingly inconsistent statements he’s made about his military record have been part of his resume during the entire period.

So, if you have a long-term employee who’s been a good worker, do you fire him if you discover that part of his resume contains false representations, even though another part of his resume says just the opposite? Alleged resume fraud can indeed be several shades of gray instead of black and white.

If Blumenthal were your employee, you’d be faced with a close call. That means you’d need to carefully consider the context in which the inconsistent statements were made. You’d need to carefully consider what you’ve done in the past with incidents of resume fraud. Then, you’d need to obtain legal advice in making a difficult decision.

In Blumenthal’s case, the voters of Connecticut will make the decision for you.