Fake Certificate Dilemma: How Should HR Handle This Situation?

I would like to know how to make a decision about the case mentioned below. I am working as an HR executive reporting to the MD. Here, one staff member submitted his certificate, but it's fake (we only have a xerox copy). I have verified this. What should I do to handle this issue? Please suggest a course of action immediately.

Thank you.

Regards,
Sam.S

Before drawing a conclusion, please have a discussion with the employee to understand the situation thoroughly and ensure the decision made is appropriate, which may result in termination with immediate effect.

Regards,
Janardan

Identifying the Fake Certificate

First of all, let the forum know which certificate was fake, i.e., Birth, Experience, Education, Technical, or others. Please specify. Also, let us know how long the staff member who submitted the fake certificate has been working, in order to ascertain the gravity of the case.

Handling Fake Experience Certificates

In some cases, I have found candidates using fake experience certificates to secure a job. If a candidate's experience is not relevant to the position they have applied for, termination may not be necessary. Instead, a warning letter can be issued if it aligns with your management approach.

Always consider termination of an employee as a last resort.

The details provided by you are not sufficient. You must always interact with the actual problem. Hiding reasons and asking for a remedy randomly is not appropriate for the experts or contributing managers to give their advice. One of our friends has clearly given his opinion. If you want more interaction with the experts in this thread, please come out with facts and seek advice.

Regards,
Adoni Suguresh
Sr. Executive (Pers, Admin & Ind. Rels)
Rtd Labour Laws Consultant

Trustworthiness and Management Decision

If a person has submitted a fake certificate, it must have been done with an understanding of the consequences. Essentially, this indicates that the individual is not trustworthy. Management needs to decide whether to retain such individuals and, if retained, ensure they do not harm the company's interests.

Regards

I would like to know the details of fake document(s). Considering the situation, the concerned employee should be removed from the rolls of the company.

Thanks,

R K Nair

How can you conclude it is a fake certificate? You said he has submitted only a xerox copy. Ask for the original for verification. Without verification of the original, it can't be concluded as fake.

Regards,
Pon

First of all, have you conducted a background verification from the university of which the employee has submitted the certificate? Do you have written proof of his fake certificate? If yes, then you may ask him to resign. If no, then first send his mark sheet/certificate to the university and get it verified. Please note, keep termination as the last resort. It's always better to ask the employee to resign.

Verification and Action Steps for Handling Fake Certificates

Ask for the originals and verify them against the xerox. Send a copy to the concerned university to check the authenticity of the details. If the documents are found to be false, you can definitely take any action (including dismissal) against the employee. There is no need to serve a notice period to the employee in such a scenario. Keep a record of all communication you send to the employee.

It is equally important to get a signature from the employee on all xerox copies he submits. There is always a risk of an employee denying in court that he/she submitted a fake certificate. Without his signature on the xerox, it is not possible to prove that he submitted one. Worse, he/she can even claim that it was the company management that created this fake document to trap him/her. Whether this argument would be accepted or not depends on how advocates from both sides represent their views.

Steps to Address Submission of a Fake Certificate

First, if you are confident about the submission of a fake certificate, you may issue a memo calling for his explanation. Subsequently, you have to conduct a domestic inquiry by appointing an inquiry officer, duly following all principles of natural justice. The management has to prove during the inquiry that the said employee has submitted a fake certificate and got appointed on the basis of a fake certificate. Finally, after issuing a show cause notice, you may remove him from service.