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Liar, Liar: Should You Fire a Dishonest Employee?

FiredYou have a person on staff you’ve trusted for years. But just recently, you found out they lied on their resume or exaggerated their sales numbers. First, you need to get over the shock. Next, you must decide what to do.

The question is: Should you fire them, or give them a second chance?

Unfortunately, as a top staffing services firm in Tempe, PrideStaff can tell you there’s no easy answer here. Truly, it depends on the situation.

Before you make any final decisions, though, consider the following first:

Is the lie a part of a pattern?
In other words, do you think the employee is lying regularly? Or is this instance a one-time mistake?

If it’s the first time and the employee is generally someone you trust, then consider letting them off with a warning. However, if the lie falls within a pattern of exaggerations, untruths and deceptions, then it’s best to cut the employee loose. It’s only a matter of time before their dishonesty hurts your customers and your business.

Was the lie calculated?
Did the employee go to great lengths to concoct a story and cover up the truth? Or were they simply in a stressful situation and blurted out the first thing – which happened to be a lie – that came to mind?

If it’s the latter, then it might be innocent enough. But again, it’s important to remind the employee of your expectations – which include total honesty at all times.

Do you think you can trust the employee again?
Only you can answer this question. If you believe you can trust the employee again, then it may be worth it to try and work it out. However, if the employee who lied is in a position of authority or handling company finances, then the situation is far more serious and termination may really be your only viable option.

Did the employee deny the lie?
It’s one thing if you catch an employee red-handed in a lie and they admit to it. But if an employee denies they lied, yet you know they did, it simply compounds the situation.

When an employee fesses up, a second chance may be in order. When they cover a lie with another lie, though, it’s time to show them the door.

Did the lie do serious harm?
Lies can vary in degrees of severity. And if a lie an employee told does serious damage to your company or they benefitted in an illicit way from it, then you may have just cause to fire them.

And if you have an empty seat to fill at your company – whether due to a termination or turnover – call PrideStaff. As a leading staffing services firm in Tempe, we can help you recruit and hire skilled, dependable and trustworthy employees.

Contact PrideStaff today to learn more about how we can help you.

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