Should I Blow the Whistle on a Co-Worker?
Q: I recently learned, quite by accident, that a colleague at my office has grossly misstated her academic credentials on her resume (which I have seen), probably since before she came to work at our company.
Q: I recently learned, quite by accident, that a colleague at my office has grossly misstated her academic credentials on her resume (which I have seen), probably since before she came to work at our company. She's an excellent executive and a very nice person, but I am troubled by this ethical lapse, which she doesn't know that I know about. I don't want to see her fired -- which is our company's stated remedy for resume fraud -- but I also don't want her to get away with this. What should I do?
I suggest you speak in confidence with your human-resources manager, without identifying the colleague. Try to get the manager's agreement that, if the executive comes forward "voluntarily" to correct her resume, she won't be fired. But don't be surprised if the manager says that a probationary memo must be placed in the executive's personnel file.
Then go to the executive and encourage her to correct her record with the HR department. Tell her it's the right thing to do, and you have reason to think the company will respond compassionately. She will probably agree, now that she knows you are aware of her transgression and can check her resume again, and recognizes the risk to her career from letting the charade continue. If she fails to do this after six months or so, you are ethically entitled to identify her to HR.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Q: My parents can afford to pay for me to go to college, but they are refusing. They say their parental responsibilities ended when I turned 18, and now I'm on my own. Are they right?
Legally, yes. But I would suggest that you courteously probe the reasons for their refusal, which could include one or more of the following: stinginess, a lack of respect for higher education, concern about your readiness for college, or a sincere feeling that college will mean more to you if you pay all or most of the costs yourself. I hope they will eventually agree to contribute something.
Have a money-and-ethics question you'd like answered in this column? Write to editor in chief Knight Kiplinger at ethics@kiplinger.com.
Get Kiplinger Today newsletter — free
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.
Knight came to Kiplinger in 1983, after 13 years in daily newspaper journalism, the last six as Washington bureau chief of the Ottaway Newspapers division of Dow Jones. A frequent speaker before business audiences, he has appeared on NPR, CNN, Fox and CNBC, among other networks. Knight contributes to the weekly Kiplinger Letter.
-
Farewell Paper I-Bonds: Savings Bonds Are Going Online-Only
The last remaining way to buy a paper savings bond in the U.S. (with your income tax refund) won't be available from January 2025. Tax filers will still be able to buy I-bonds online, however.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
-
Is Medicare a Good Reason to Wait Until 65 to Retire?
The average retirement age is 62, but many people wait until Medicare starts at 65. Should health care be the key driver of your retirement date?
By Evan T. Beach, CFP®, AWMA® Published
-
Should All Student Debt Be Forgiven?
student loans My favorite reform would be making the repayment of all student loans proportional to the borrower’s future earnings.
By Knight Kiplinger Published
-
Should Lenders Mail Unsolicited Checks to Potential Borrowers?
credit & debt When it comes to preying on weak credit risks, it looks like Wall Street is at it again.
By Knight Kiplinger Published
-
Do Adult Children Have an Obligation to Support Needy Parents?
savings Even if some siblings can afford to help more than others, no one should shirk the obligation to assist in some way -- financial or otherwise.
By Knight Kiplinger Published
-
Should Nondisclosure Agreements Be Banned in Sexual Harassment Settlements?
Business Costs & Regulation Knight Kiplinger offers his advice on how companies can improve their handling of harassment problems.
By Knight Kiplinger Published
-
How Can the Approval Process for New Drugs Be Speeded Up?
investing There are many reform proposals, including some from free-market think tanks.
By Knight Kiplinger Published
-
Are Incentives to Lure New Businesses Fair to Current Employers?
Business Costs & Regulation Job growth and spending at an existing firm should be worth just as much in incentives as new jobs and capital investment brought in from outside.
By Knight Kiplinger Published
-
Should Ethics Determine Who You Do Business With?
Smart Buying Consumers seeking to do business only with ethical companies should ask these questions.
By Knight Kiplinger Published
-
Should Colleges Use Collection Agencies for Overdue Student Bills?
college Colleges have many potent options for getting students to square their accounts.
By Knight Kiplinger Published