Man fined for doctoring CV

HR workers in charge of hiring staff, whether independently or through recruitment agencies, may wish to take particular care after one man was fined thousands of pounds for doctoring his CV.

According to the Swindon Advertiser, Lee Sutherland, 34 Pontypridd, south Wales, pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud after admitting his CV claimed he had a diploma in critical care.

He then used the CV to apply for a job with Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust. Although he had attended a course, Mr Sutherland had never secured the qualification, the news provider noted.

Later, he applied for another job in Cardiff and once again exaggerated his qualifications.

Get our essential weekday HR news and updates. Company This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Work Email Keep up with the latest in HR... This field is hidden when viewing the form Optin_form This field is hidden when viewing the form Optin_date Year Month Day This field is hidden when viewing the form Batch_Newsletter

Mr Sutherland was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £800 costs.

John Holmes, defending, said Mr Sutherland had incorrectly assumed he had passed once he completed the course and heard nothing more.

Judge Douglas Field said: “If you get a job with false qualifications you might be asked to do something you are not qualified to and cause harm to someone else.”

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development recently warned that this time of year can see employees at risk of losing their jobs, as unacceptable behaviour at office parties can lead to dismissals.