Investigation Summary

Section 69 – Founded – Fraud – False information about work experience

Authority: This investigation was conducted under section 69 of the Public Service Employment Act, S.C. 2003, c.22, ss. 12 and 13.

Issue: The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether a public servant committed fraud as part of a non-advertised appointment process by knowingly submitting false information about their work experience in their job application.

Conclusions: The investigation concluded that the public servant committed fraud during the appointment process by giving false information about the nature, duration and level of their experience in their job application.

Facts: A hiring manager wanted to appoint a public servant on an acting basis to a higher level because the public servant indicated in their résumé that they had acquired experience at a certain organization that would be an asset for the manager’s team. The human resources advisor checked the public servant’s employment history. The advisor noted that the positions cited in the public servant’s résumé did not match the data in the staffing system for the employee. The experience gained at the organization that interested the manager was also not found. As a result, the manager chose not to go ahead with the acting appointment.

The investigation confirmed the inconsistencies between the public servant’s résumé and the employer’s staffing system in relation to the public servant’s previous employers and length of employment. During the investigation, the public servant admitted to knowingly changing the group and level of all of the positions listed on their résumé and having falsified the duration of their periods of employment.

According to the collected evidence, the investigation concluded that the public servant acted dishonestly by knowingly submitting false information in their job application. By doing so, they compromised the appointment process.

Corrective action: Following the conclusion of fraud, the Commission ordered that:

• for a 3-year period, the public servant request written approval from the Commission before accepting any position or employment in the federal public service
  • failure to do so will result in any appointment being revoked
• for a 3-year period, the public servant will inform the Commission of all occasional or student employment
  • otherwise, the Commission will advise the deputy head of the fraud committed by the appointee by providing them with a copy of the investigation report and the record of decision

The Commission also ordered that a copy of the investigation report be sent to the public servant’s home department.

Investigation File No.: 18-19-02