Section 69 – Founded – Fraud – False claims about education and 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: This investigation sought to determine whether a public servant committed fraud in 3 appointment processes by presenting false information about their education and experience.

Conclusion: In light of the public servant’s admissions and the inconsistencies across their applications, the investigation concluded that the public servant acted dishonestly by providing false information about their education and work experience to gain an advantage in 3 different appointment processes.

Facts: A federal organization sought to deploy a public servant to an officer-level position that required a university degree. The public servant submitted a résumé that mentioned their completed degree. When the organization asked for proof of the degree, the public servant admitted to not having completed one.

The organization reviewed the public servant’s previous job applications, and noted that the public servant had claimed to have a degree, in both their résumé for their current officer-level position and in their applications for 2 senior officer-level positions within their organization. The organization also noted differences in the titles of the positions the public servant claimed to have held, as well as in the dates and duration of their previous employment. The organization sent these concerns to the Public Service Commission for investigation.

During the investigation that followed, the public servant admitted to not holding a university degree. They explained that they included the degree in their applications because they intended to get the diploma in the future. They recognized that they should not have claimed to have a degree in their applications. The investigation determined that the public servant’s claim that they held a degree was false.

During this investigation, the public servant also admitted to citing different work experience across their job applications. They explained that they tailored each job application to emphasize elements of their experience that suited the requirements of each position. However, the public servant admitted to inventing one of the organizations where they claimed to have worked, to changing the duration of several periods of employment, and to inflating titles and duties. As a result, the investigation determined that these claims were false.

Corrective actions:

Following the conclusion of fraud, the Commission ordered that:

• the public servant’s appointment be revoked, and that further to this revocation, the person no longer be employed in the federal public service
• for 5 years, the person must obtain the Commission’s written approval before accepting any position in the federal public service; failure to do so will result in the revocation of the new appointment
• for 5 years, the person must inform the Commission of any casual work in the federal public service; failure to do so will result in the investigation report being sent to the responsible deputy head to advise them of the fraud committed

Investigation File No.: 19-20-01