When Mark N. was approached by one of his company’s vendors, the Information Technology professional had no idea that secretly taking on a client in his spare time would cost him his job. Sure seems obvious after the fact, but Mark is not alone.
Lisa F. shares his pain, but from a managerial perspective. “I
know when a woman lies about being sick, just by looking at her
hands and toes.” For the senior level new media executive, the
giveaway is newly polished nails. “You cannot imagine how many
women come in after a sick day with a fresh manicure or pedicure,”
she observes.
Pulling the Healthy Sick Card
If you call in sick when you’re feeling perfectly fine you
better be smart about it. Taking off one too many hangover Fridays,
or regularly turning the day before calendared holiday 3 day
weekends into your personal 4 day long weekends, will no doubt
cause suspicious minds. So come clean to your supervisor and
ask that these be reported as vacation days, or try to
schedule your healthy sick days on less conspicuous days during the
week.
The Faux Appointment/Emergency
Leaving work under false medical or other emergent pretenses is
asking for trouble. Take it from Kristine who played hooky to get
prepped for a date and was spotted getting her hair blown out at
the salon by one of her co-workers. All it takes is one sighting or
slip and you can lose your credibility, especially when medical or
family issues are used as an excuse.
Pointing the Finger
When people’s jobs and egos are at stake, blaming others when
you’re at fault can lead to war in the workplace. Remember, it’s a
politics game and you’ll lose if you try to dodge the bullet by
feigning innocence. Folks, the only way to keep allies and
integrity intact is to play fair and take ownership of your conduct
and work in good times and in bad.
Fudging Hours & Fudging Expenses
Working to make sure you get in those all those billable hours is seriously stressful. You may hit your targets by rounding up to the nearest hour but don’t press your luck. This is a serious offense, and companies’ billings are increasingly being examined by their clients and their clients’ audit units or accountants. If you’re a certified professional, lying here may not cost you just a client, but your license.
