Investigation Summary

Section 66 and 69 – Founded – Fraud – False information regarding educational credentials – Omission – Department omitted to confirm university degree – Merit not met

Authority: This investigation was conducted under sections 66 and 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 fraud was committed in an external appointment process. Specifically, the department provided information to the Public Service Commission (PSC) indicating that a candidate may not possess the bachelor’s degree listed in their application.

The investigation was also conducted to determine whether an error, omission or improper conduct may have occurred in the appointment of the candidate and that the appointment may not have been based on merit, since there appeared to be no assessment of the candidate and it appeared that the candidate did not possess a university degree and thus did not meet the educational requirements of the position to be filled.

Conclusions: The investigation concluded that the candidate committed fraud in the appointment process by knowingly providing false information regarding their educational credentials in their application.

The investigation also concluded that the organization omitted to confirm that the candidate held a university degree. Since the candidate did not possess a degree and thus did not meet the essential educational requirements for the position, and no assessment of their academic credentials took place, the appointment was not based on merit.

Facts: During an advertised external appointment process to fill four positions requiring a university degree, a candidate claimed to have completed a four-year university degree. The responsible manager did not verify this claim during the appointment process. After a written test and an interview, the candidate was deemed not qualified on several other essential qualifications. During the investigation, the organization admitted that the candidate should not have been screened into this appointment process.

The coordinator of the process recommended that the candidate be considered for a lower-level position in the same occupational group. The candidate was offered, and accepted, a lower-level term position as a result of the original appointment process. It had been made clear to management that this new position also required a university degree, yet no assessment of the candidate’s education was on file. The responsible manager falsely believed that a combination of education and training was acceptable for lower-level positions and that the candidate was qualified for such a position because they had participated in the original process. As a result, the offer of employment was made on a general determination that the candidate had the expected experience.

A few years afterward, the department asked the candidate to provide proof of their education. The candidate informed the human resources advisor that they had not completed their university degree. Rather, they had a college diploma and three-and-a-half years of a four-year university degree. The candidate admitted to being aware of the degree requirement and to having indicated possessing a degree when this was not the case.

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

• The individual’s appointment be revoked;
• For three years, the individual must obtain the written permission of the Commission before accepting any position or work within the federal public service, without which the appointment will be revoked; and
• For three years, the individual must notify the Commission of any casual or student work in the federal public service or a copy of the Investigation Report will be sent to the responsible deputy head to advise them of the fraud committed by the individual; and
• No corrective action was ordered against the organization because the manager who omitted to verify the individual’s education credentials retired from the public service.

Investigation File No.: 14-15-10