Should I fire this guy because he bought his degree from the internet?

Hey guys, I posted this on another board and the verdict I got was to fire him. Since I've been lurking here for a while I thought I'd post it here for some more advice.

A couple years ago I hired a guy named Thomas as a senior tech for a small datacenter I run in California. He always seemed like a pretty competent worker. Thomas had great personal skills, came into work on-time, and pretty much completed projects better than any of the other techs in our facility. He seemed like a pretty intelligent guy, actually. I've even had dinner with his wife and young daughter on occasion. I generally consider him a friend.

The other day I invited him to my house to hang out and have a few drinks. At one point in the evening we were shooting the shit and talking about the worst things we've ever done in our lives. I regaled him with a tale about how I stole expensive clothes from department stores as a teenager and he told me about how he once sent explicit pictures of his cheating ex-girlfriend inserting a toothbrush into her ass to her parents. I laughed and passed him another drink.

I guess he was getting a little too tipsy because a little later he related a story about how he got his college degree in philosophy. We don't require college degrees, but we generally hire and give greater pay to candidates with the degree over the candidate without one. Thomas said that he bought it off the internet for $450 from some website called The Transnational Council for something something. He wrote the domain

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on a napkin and said that he had listed the degree he got through them on the resume he sent my secretary two years ago. I've heard this website discussed before. Apparently they represent universities who grant degrees based on "work history" and "previous college credits." There's no actual university attendance. Now I'm not sure what to do. Company policy is to terminate people who lie on their resumes, but he doesn't seem like that bad of a guy. The website he got his degree from looks like what they're doing is pretty unethical. But I guess the degree is technically legal. Should I fire him because he bought his degree from the internet instead of attending a regular university?

What he did was pretty crooked. I think I might decide to fire him over this. If you were his employer what would you do?

Reply to
zergzerglol
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Consult a lawyer before firing him.

Dave

Reply to
David

Well, is he doing a good job for you, is he doing what you expect? Do you want to get rid of a good worker for this infraction. Will you company benefit if you fire him?

OTOH, you can probably get into some serious trouble if you do not treat him as you have others if some one that got fired finds out.

Reply to
Leon

Fire him. First, because he lied to the very person that hired him (you). Second, to not would be a disservice to those that do work for you that earned degrees the proper way.

Reply to
Geo

Also consult your conscience. Yes, he did mislead you, but he does have a family to support. I'd have a chat with him, and tell him how disappointed I am at his lack of honesty, and that this will be reflected in future considerations for promotions, bonuses, etc.

That alone might prompt him to migrate elsewhere. Or perhaps to do some soul searching, accept his mistake, and become a better person for it.

You confessed to stealing some expensive clothing. What did you learn from that experience? Did you return them, or got punished somehow?

-jav

Reply to
Javier Henderson

You should fire yourself for not being able to make up your mind what to do: run an airport, run a radiator shop, run a datacenter, run a data center (yes, you spelled it two different ways), run a gym...

Oh, and you're a scumbag, low life spammer on top of all that. I'd take the guy that lied about his degree over you any day.

Reply to
LRod

If you feel you must do something, then tell him that company policy is to fire, but instead you're just going to knock his pay down to what a person with no degree would get and put him on probation.

If he's a good worker, gets along with the staff, and you like him enough to get tipsy with, you wouldn't be doing yourself or your company any favors by firing him.

You might end up with a very loyal and grateful employee, and if he continues to give you good service, restore his pay this time next year.

Finding an employee who meshes well with your staff and does good work isn't always easy, but this shows him and your staff that you take misleading paperwork seriously.

-Nathan

Reply to
N Hurst

This is shameless spam for his website. He was already busted in another group. I just happened to see it last night. See the post below.

DonkeyHody

LOOK WHAT HE POSTED ON ALT.AUTOS (below)

I think this spammer just got BUSTED !!!!

Reply to
DonkeyHody

Did he lie on his resume?

If his resume says he got his degree frmm Fly-by-Night University, and that is the truth, he did not lie.

Whether or not you fire him, or reduce his pay or whatever, because he does not have the qualifications you mistakenly thought he did is another matter.

Reply to
fredfighter

Is it a legally recognized degree? If it is, then technically he wasn't lying.

He's done a good job, but assuming the degree isn't legally recognized then he lied on the resume.

Your previous policy was to fire them, so you'd be best off sticking with that.

However, you could always let him re-apply along with everyone else. Given that he's got a good work history with your company, that would logically weigh in his favour.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Friesen

Good grief... he's posted this same story in 32 newsgroups!

Reply to
N Hurst

Did he lie on his resume? If he listed the degree and where he got it from -- and did not represent it as from an accredited institution -- then I would consider it a mistake in judgement rather than an outright lie.

Whoever checked his credentials should have caught it, but s> What he did was pretty crooked. I think I might decide to fire him over

Reply to
Mike Berger

I was right there with you, and waited to find (your) response.

It's called guerilla marketing, a virulent strain of "viral" marketing.

I wonder how many clicks he got.

er

Reply to
Enoch Root

I want to hear more about the toothbrush. Marc

Reply to
marc rosen

I want to hear more about the toothbrush. Marc

Reply to
marc rosen

You describe Thomas as competent, great personal skills, able to complete projects better than any of the other techs, and a friend.

Now you are considering firing him. On what basis? Lying on his resume? He didn't lie. YOU failed to perform due diligence and check his credentials. You think internet degrees are unethical? You certainly have a right to your opinion but that's not sufficient basis for legal action.

Does your company have a written policy re internet degrees? How about degrees from other places like the University of Phoenix, which has brick & mortar classrooms and which also gives credit for work experience. Does your policy reject regular university degrees where credits from junior/community colleges were accepted? If not, I doubt that you have a case for firing Thomas.

As an employer I'd be thankful for Thomas as an employee. I've had many employees with "Regular University" degrees who were totally incompetent.

If you do fire him using your stated rationale, expect a lawsuit. Which you will likely lose. And you may also lose your own job in the process.

Art

Reply to
Wood Butcher

Reply to
Frank Arthur

Reply to
Harland

Send Your Money to that email address and wave goodby. This is a con game.

Reply to
Frank Arthur

Reply to
Mark and Kim Smith

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