Ever get the feeling your co-worker's pants are on fire? Your instincts may be right with 19 percent of workers admitting they tell lies at the office at least once a week, according to a recent CareerBuilder.com survey. Nearly one-in-four hiring managers -- 24 percent -- say they have fired an employee for being dishonest. CareerBuilder.com's survey, "Honesty in the Workplace," was completed in December 2005 and featured more than 2,050 workers, including 1,000 hiring managers.

Fifteen percent of workers reported they were caught in a lie at the office. When asked why they felt compelled to bend the truth at work, respondents cited the following reasons:

  --  To appease a customer (26 percent)
  --  To cover up a failed project, mistake or missed deadline (13 percent)
  --  To explain an unexcused absence or late arrival (8 percent)
  --  To protect another employee (8 percent)
  --  To get another employee in trouble or look better in front of a
      supervisor (5 percent)

"It may seem cliche, but honesty is the best policy," said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder.com. "Even if you are motivated by the best of intentions, being deceitful can seriously compromise your credibility with colleagues and negatively impact your career progress. The vast majority of hiring managers -- 85 percent -- say they are less likely to promote an employee who has lied to them or other members of the organization."

  The most common lies workers say they have told at the office include:

  --  I don't know how that happened (20 percent)
  --  I have another call to take or I'll call you right back (16 percent)
  --  I've been out of town or out sick (10 percent)
  --  I like your outfit or you look great (8 percent)
  --  I didn't get your email, voicemail or fax (8 percent)

For more information on CareerBuilder.com surveys, visit: http://www.careerbuilder.com/share/aboutus/pr_main.aspx .

Survey Methodology

CareerBuilder.com's survey, "Honesty in the Workplace," was conducted from November 15 to December 6, 2005. Methodology used to collect survey responses totaling more than 2,050 workers for this study involved selecting a random sample of comScore Networks panel members. These Web Panel members were approached via an e-mail invitation, which asked them to participate in a short online survey. The results of this survey are statistically accurate to within +/- 2.16 percentage points (19 times out of 20). Note: the sample of 2,050+ included 1,000 hiring managers. The results for the hiring managers alone are accurate within +/- 3.09 percentage points (19 times out of 20).

About CareerBuilder.com

CareerBuilder.com is the nation's largest online job site with more than 20 million unique visitors and over 1 million jobs. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. , Tribune Company , and Knight Ridder, Inc. , the company offers a vast online and print network to help job seekers connect with employers. CareerBuilder.com powers the career centers for more than 800 partners that reach national, local, industry and niche audiences. These include more than 170 newspapers and leading portals such as America Online and MSN. The nation's top employers take advantage of CareerBuilder.com's easy job postings, 15 million-plus resumes, Diversity Channel and more. Millions of job seekers visit the site every month to search for opportunities by industry, location, company and job type, sign up for automatic email job alerts, and get advice on job hunting and career management. For more information about CareerBuilder.com products and services, visit http://www.careerbuilder.com/ .

  Media Contact:
  Jennifer Sullivan
  (773) 527-1164
  Jennifer.Sullivan@careerbuilder.com

SOURCE: CareerBuilder.com