Should I expose my colleague?

cyantist

Andypandyboy wrote: »

I would also go down the innocent questions route. You cannot be sure he wasn't there under another name (adopted name, step parents name mothers maiden name, etc). I wouldn't come out with it blatently. From his responses you will know whether he is lying, and he will know you know. At that point he will become worried and may well decide to look for another job.

Not only this, but even if he actually hasn't he got the degree he claims from the institution he claims, unless he’s stupid he won’t have picked somewhere he knows nothing about. He may well have lived in that area, even worked for the institution in question and trying to trip him up might come back to bite you on the bum or make you look either bad, or a bit stupid!

Andypandyboy

He could even be transgender. I know of several students who, during the period of their time at university, changed gender. Unlikely I grant you, but possible. You don't want to look foolish, so tread carefully. If you are right, even very innocent questions will rattle him, especially when he knows you have a connection there.

FBaby

Like others have said, you can't be sure of your assertions and it could backfire quite badly. Maybe he has the degree he says from elsewhere, and his boss couldn't care less where it's been gained from. Or he did go there, but has another degree, which again might be perfectly applicable to the post.

Or he did go there, but your friend didn't do their research properly and then you would like a fool.

As said, I personally would enjoy 'testing' him very subtly and see his reaction, not as a threat to uncover him, but as showing him what it's like to be exposed to his own lies.

yvonne13_2

villandry wrote: »

I have a colleague who is very trying. Thankfully I don't work closely with him, but he is very full of himself, not nearly as clever as he thinks he is, and also a bit of a bully who is quite lazy, but has been quick to take credit for other people's graft. He is the reason why two friends have left for other jobs, and others seem likely to follow.

He is also very boastful about where he went to university and the first that he got. However, unknown to him, it is also where I went to university. It is a prestigious place, and I'm proud of the fact that I went there, but I never boast about it. This guy does though. Constantly. And this is where doubts crept in. The university is quite a small place and a couple of the things he said just didn't add up, both about the place and his degree. I am fifteen years older than him, and one of my old uni friends now teaches in this colleague's subject at another university. We've done enough detective work to establish that he was neither a student nor a graduate of this university.

My usual reaction to such blatant bigging up of qualifications would be one of amusement, but this guy is such an utter s*%# that I'm tempted to drop him in it, or at least let him know personally in no uncertain terms that I know he's lying. However, I think he is just nasty enough to make things unpleasant should I do that. Also, on a personal level I feel like he discredits my university by his actions!

What would you do?

Well he clearly must be clever as you claim he takes credit for other peoples graft,

Be very careful blaiming him for people leaving as I'm sure your employer must've conducted exit interviews, if not then keep your thoughts to yourself.

If he's boasting about uni why is that your concern when what you and a third party have been doing is even worse? You have no proof that he didn't go to the same uni nor do you have the right to check. HR or whomever would've asked for copies of his certificates if his job required this, if not then mind your business.You do know that you could be digging yourself into a big pile of mess for basically stalking the guy and getting others to do the same. You're 15 years older than him yet you're behaviour is totally irrational and creepy.

Yes...... drop him in it and at the same time ask for your P45. I hope someone from your work place or even the person your gossiping about sees your post and reports you.to HR. You may think it's okay to try and humiliate/embarrass your coworker, but all I can see is the you being the bully.

Timpu

No, don't. It's their Manager's job to deal with such things.

I think I posted a while back about an awful colleague I had to work with. He took credit for other's work (including mine), was lazy, arrogant, spoke in the most nasty manner to others and lied. No one in the team liked him but we were all unfailingly polite and did our best to treat him well. He was the only one to disappear when it came to redundancies. We weren't sorry to see him go but were fuming that he got paid off :mad: :mad: :mad:

onlyroz

It is normally very easy for an employer to do checks on their employees. I'd suggest having quiet word with HR, who will be able to contact the university in question and verify his claims. No need to publicly expose the guy at all, or for anybody other than HR to know it was you who raised concerns.

jackyann

I completely agree with everyone who says that you should address the immediate workplace issues.
Keep the issue of the university up your sleeve, for all the reasons given above.

I have done a couple of courses in ways that have led people to query me over the years. As they led to professional qualifications that can be easily checked, it wasn't a huge issue. But I did sometimes have to say:

"Oh, the timing of that course was a bit strange - it was part of a research project and they decided not to purse that way of teaching it"

"I actually attended Womble College and was taught by Madame Cholet, but it was overseen by Trumpton University and that's who awarded my qualification, even though I never set foot in the place"

When this colleague finally gets his come-uppance his qualifications can be checked by people with the proper authority to do so. In the meantime, I would talk about your time there just as part of normal conversation.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

tea_lover wrote: »

The place where I went to university had changed beyond recognition within 5 years of me leaving, let alone 15. I was talking to a colleague who went there about 12 years after me and we didn't even recognise the buildings we were each talking about (and we did very similar courses, in the same faculty). I also can't think of a way that you can prove whether someone attended or not without access to records you shouldn't be looking at. I couldn't even prove whether my best mates from uni went there and we spent every day together for 3 years.

If an employee came to me with tales of fraudulently researching a colleague's education, I know which one I'd mark down as the trouble maker.

This is valid. I've worked at two prestigious universities and have witnessed the following:

-departments merging and changing their name
-department names changing under a new Head
-buildings renamed in honour of donors (or the donor's name quietly dropped when they get done for massive fraud ha ha)
-new departments calving off existing departments
-modules and entire courses being revised and renamed
-departments moving to a different campus
-buildings renovated out of all recognition, including famous landmark features (eg statues) moved for the (long) duration of building works
-halls of residence rebuilt and renamed, sometimes moved entirely

You really can't make assumptions about their qualifications based on the odd reminiscence of university life. Leave that for HR and concentrate on making a record of objectionable behaviour.

mikebusano

nope, I think you should do your thing and not be concerned with him.

just improve yourself in whatever you do. Concerning yourself with other peoples problem is counter productive.

1886

It sounds to me like he needs putting in his place. If somebody had been responsible for two of my friends leaving I would hatch a plan to expose said person.

Also, should he even be doing the job that he is if he's lied about his qualifications?