Legal Question in Business Law in Massachusetts

Consulting firm made me fudge my resume
I work for a small consulting firm on H1B visa which places its consultants with various corporations on IT projects. After joining the firm, they pressured me into adding fake work experience on my resume - and I mean, not just extending dates, but adding companies that I never worked for. This is the resume that they sent out to prospective clients and vendors and I have been on two projects based on fake experience! This is a standard practice by the firm for most, if not all its employees. The justification they gave was that it was a common and known practice in the IT industry. I eventually realized that higher experience is shown so that not only is it easier to get a consultant onto a project, but also for the consulting firm to get a higher bill rate. Although I was not in a position earlier to refuse (to fudge my resume), I have now declined to use a fake resume for my next project. I want to know what the law says about this. If this issue is raised legally, will the employer (the consulting firm) be punished or will the employee (such as I) be held liable? What is the extent of the punishment?

Asked on 7/29/08, 10:43 pm

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Re: Consulting firm made me fudge my resume

Both you and the firm own the problem. It is called fraud in the inducement. The company is liable as they knew and forced the problem to make additional money and you are liable for helping and allowing it to go forward.

It is unclear as to how you work. If you are an employee and not an independent contractor, then both you and the company have liabilty.

I am not sure how your resume is used as a marketing item, but presenting false experience in setting fees is a form of fraud, if based on your experience you would be charged at a lower rate.

Even if this is an industry practice, it is still fraud in the inducement. False resume is not puffing or advertising embellishment, it is an intentional misrepresentation of facts to obtain a contract and money. That is Fraud.

Answered on 7/30/08, 11:19 am

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