Loss of Legal Claims
Another potential drawback to lying on an application is that a person can lose his or her right to sue the employer if there are any legal claims against the employer, such as termination based on racial discrimination. Another possibility is that the employee’s level of damages can be reduced. This legal concept is known as the “after-acquired evidence” rule. This means that employers can use the evidence that they learned about a former employee in defense of any legal claim.
Loss of Professional License
Many professions have a board that oversees the administration of licenses to current individuals in the profession, including lawyers, nurses, and doctors. If they commit an ethical mistake, their license may be suspended or revoked.
Criminal Charges
The likelihood of someone being charged with a crime for lying on a job application is slim. However, there are certain circumstances that could lead to criminal responsibility. For example, lying about military service to receive a benefit can be prosecuted If employment is being sought from a state or federal employer, it is often a crime to lie to a federal or state government agency. Another possibility is that the applicant can be charged with a criminal fraud offense some white lies will not rise to fraud. However, such charges may result if the effect of the lie led to substantial damage to a person or the financial welfare of a person’s business.
Civil Liability
Lying on an application may also potentially cause an applicant to be liable for civil damages if his or her lies result in damages. For example, an architect who lied about his credentials may be civilly liable for civil fraud or misrepresentation if a ceiling collapsed and injured a customer. A contractor may be sued if he was terminated after his client discovered that he had violated building codes in the past and did not reveal this information when asked and the client had to hire someone else to perform the work at a higher cost. Plaintiffs may sue the employer for negligent hiring or retention if they have suffered injuries because of the misrepresentation. The employer may respond by joining the employee in the lawsuit so that he or she can share in the liability.
CONCLUSION FOR LITIGANTS
We tell lies when we are afraid… afraid of what we don’t know, afraid of what others will think, afraid of what will be found out about us. But every time we tell a lie, the thing that we fear grows stronger. Tad Williams,
Lying (perjury)disrupts the judicial process and is taken very seriously. Being convicted of perjury can result in serious consequences, including probation and fines. Additionally, perjury can have consequences on a person’s professional pedigree. So it’s better to say the truth because honesty is the cornerstone of all success, without which confidence and ability to perform shall cease to exist.
