Providing false education information is fraud

Providing false information about qualifications, particularly regarding a required diploma, constitutes fraud that undermines the principle of merit and the fairness of the appointment process. It is therefore essential that candidates present their qualifications accurately and honestly in order to preserve their professional credibility and the integrity of appointment processes.

Authority

This investigation was conducted under section 69 of the Public Service Employment Act (S.C. 2003, c. 22, ss. 12 and 13).

Issue

The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether a candidate had committed fraud by stating in their job application that they held a post-secondary degree when they did not. This candidate was participating in an advertised external appointment process.

Conclusion

The investigation concluded that the candidate had committed fraud in the context of an appointment process by knowingly providing false information about their post-secondary education in a job application, to increase their chances of being appointed.

Facts

According to the job posting, to meet the essential educational qualification, applicants were required to hold a degree from a recognized post-secondary institution; the degree also had to be in a field related to the position. When the candidate who is the subject of this investigation applied, they indicated that they held a post-secondary degree. Having met the requirements for the position, the candidate was placed in a pool. They were then appointed to an acting position for a period of 12 months.

While preparing a second acting appointment for the candidate, the human resources advisor noticed that proof of post-secondary education was missing from the staffing file. During the investigation, the candidate stated that they contacted the university to obtain their transcript when management asked for proof of education. At that time, the candidate reportedly learned that they had not received a degree. The candidate explained that they had not been attentive to their affairs at that time, and therefore believed they held a degree.

An email sent to the university by the candidate and the date of the transcript show that the candidate contacted the university not during the second acting appointment, but during the advertised external appointment process. As a result, the investigation concluded that the candidate knew they did not hold a degree when they were added to the pool and when they were first appointed to the acting position. As well, a letter from the university confirms that the candidate had been informed, during their studies, that they had been dismissed from their program due to an insufficient grade point average. Therefore, when they applied, the candidate knew that they did not hold a post-secondary degree.

On the balance of probabilities, the candidate acted dishonestly in stating in their job application that they held a post-secondary degree, as they knew this information was false.

As a result, the appointment process was compromised by this dishonest act, because the candidate was appointed to an acting position for a period of 12 months without meeting the requirements.

Corrective action

After concluding that fraud had occurred in the appointment process, the Commission ordered the following:

• for a period of one year, the individual must contact the Public Service Commission of Canada before accepting a position or employment in the federal public service
  • failure to do so will result in the appointment being revoked
• the individual must complete the Foundations of Values and Ethics for Employees course offered by the Canada School of Public Service, and then have a discussion with their manager (the manager must be at the director level or higher and be at least 2 hierarchical levels above the individual subject to the corrective measures)
  • failure to do so will result in the appointment being revoked
• the individual must review all job applications submitted through the Public Service Resourcing System to correct any irregularities identified during this investigation
  • if the individual identifies irregularities in a job application, they must withdraw their application from the appointment process
  • the individual must provide the Public Service Commission of Canada with a list of the appointment processes for which they have withdrawn their application and for which they have not withdrawn their application
     

File Number: 2026-27-02