Q: My husband listed a four-year degree on his résumé, even though he has only a two-year degree. When he was truthful about his education, he wasn't getting any interviews, despite having 20 years' experience.

Three weeks ago, he started a new job. But today the human resources manager sent him an e-mail saying that the college could not verify his degree. He did attend this school, but he left before graduating.

My husband is not a liar. He was close to receiving his bachelor's degree, and everything else on his résumé is true. He misrepresented his education only because he was desperate to find employment.

He plans to tell his boss the truth immediately. Can he save his job?

A: Although your husband may be a generally honest person, he did lie to this employer. By doing so, he may have put his job at risk.

In addition to being unethical, falsifying facts on a résumé is just plain stupid. Interviewers easily can discover the truth through background checks, which are increasingly common.

MARIE G. McINTYRE

OFFICE COACH

As your husband now knows, an investigation can take place even after someone is hired. And many company policies require automatic termination of anyone who provides bogus information.

If this company has a firm "fire the liar" policy or if the degree is a job requirement, your husband is probably out of luck. Otherwise, his best bet is to plead for forgiveness and hope his manager is in a merciful mood.

Q: Whenever our boss is upset, he calls a group meeting and administers a general scolding. Since he is never specific, we are all left wondering who screwed up.

To me, this approach seems immature and unproductive. If I make a mistake, I would rather be chewed out privately, not included in a public lecture that makes everyone feel bad.

Our manager's collective reprimands have sunk morale into a black hole. Any suggestions for dealing with this?

A: Chastising an entire group for an individual performance issue is a complete waste of time.

Nevertheless, some cowardly managers use this tactic to avoid uncomfortable one-on-one discussions. They fail to realize that the problem employee is invariably the one person who doesn't get the message.

If your boss is open to feedback, try asking for a more personalized approach. For example: "When you're upset with us, sometimes we're not sure who actually made the error. If you could tell us about our individual mistakes privately, it would be easier to prevent them in the future."

But if the direct approach seems risky, check with him after each tirade to see if you're part of the problem.

- Marie G. McIntyre is an Atlanta-based workplace coach. Her weekly column is syndicated by Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service. Send questions at www.yourofficecoach.com.