Facing Termination for a Fake Relieving Letter: How Can I Move Forward with My Career?

Hi, I started my career in Delhi in 2005. I worked in that company and joined a new one in 2010. However, in 2013, I contracted dengue and became so weak that one day, when I visited the office, I could not sit for an hour. I took all necessary medication and decided to return to my native place for better recovery. I emailed my medical certificates, which were valid for only 20 days, to my manager and went back to my native place.

A few days later, I received a termination letter on the grounds of absconding as I had not communicated with HR during that period, having decided to stay in my native place. After three months, I returned to Delhi with all the prescriptions, medical certificates, and a letter which I couriered to HR in order to obtain a relieving letter from the manager.

During this time, I faced some financial difficulties and did not initiate Full and Final (FNF) payment as I did not serve the notice period, assuming that some dues might be cleared on my end. I overlooked this and ventured into a franchise with a partner, but unfortunately, it did not work out in the long run, leading me to exit the business.

Subsequently, I teamed up with my colleagues to establish a broking franchise with a 25% share. However, due to misunderstandings with my partner, I had to leave this venture as well. Once again, I returned to my native place and joined a Life Insurance company as a Sales Business Development Manager. In a time of urgent need, I created a duplicate relieving letter from a previous company where I hadn't received the original. This fake document was identified during a background verification process, and the current HR is requesting the genuine relieving letter.

I reached out to the HR of the previous company, admitting that I left without a relieving letter. They waived off any dues, and I was about to receive the required document. Nevertheless, the HR Manager ultimately declined via email, stating that the old data had been frozen with no modifications allowed. Consequently, my current company terminated me for producing a fake relieving letter.

Now, I have an offer from a Health Insurance company with half the package, and HR is asking for the appointment letter and payslip from my most recent company, where I was terminated in January 2017.

Please advise me on how to handle this situation.

Advice on Handling Employment Issues

How can anyone give you advice when all your lies can be straightened out? You only have the option of telling the truth; any more fake letters or statements will worsen the situation.

Tell the truth and justify your illness. If the company sees conviction in your statements, they will hire you. You have broken many rules and trusts, so rebuilding them will take time and will not be easy. Keep calm, trust yourself, and you will get back on track.

Regards,

Thank you for the reply. However, due to experiencing mental trauma from dengue, I did not take proper steps to handle this situation. Surprisingly, when I contracted dengue, my manager did not reach out to inquire about my health. This incident has caused me to develop a negative perception of the corporate world and private sector jobs. Despite giving my best efforts, my health was not a priority, and I found myself unable to return to the office, prompting me to make a significant decision.

Moving forward, I am now considering rebuilding everything.

All the best for the future. One negative incident does not make the world bad. Have trust. Rebuild on your strengths, make the communication clear from day one. Have a backup plan. There have been many downs in recent times, but do not break down; use them to leverage up ahead.

Thank you, Ashutosh, for your advice. I have informed the management of the truth, not the HR, as it took them 2 days to let me know whether they will offer the job or not. I am just praying to God that I will get a chance to overcome my mistake and rebuild it again.