Inflating a Resume May Become Illegal

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports:

Talking yourself up to a prospective employer is a time-honored tradition. But come this summer, inflating your resume could be downright illegal.

State legislators are considering a bill that would subject people to a $1,000 fine for claiming in writing to have an academic degree they don't really have or failing to disclose that a listed degree came from an unaccredited institution.

The bill passed the House last week and now goes to the Senate.

The legislation was brought mainly to close loopholes in laws governing academic accreditation that allowed "diploma mills" to thrive within Washington's borders. The term is used to describe businesses that purport to be educational institutions, but really only sell consumers a paper degree and a verification service -- should potential employers inquire.

We shall see if Washington state is a leader here.But,the big problem for employers is not diplomas but what people actually did at previous employers.Not many companies want to give references for fear of lawsuits.