She Faked Her Child’s Death for Money

What do you do when an employee tells everyone she adopted a child, lost everything in a house fire, and then tragically lost the child — only for HR to discover that none of it ever happened? In Episode 48 of The Bad Hire, Ken, Nathan, and Kylie break down another round of unbelievable workplace stories — from a new employee lighting a cigarette next to 10,000 liters of acetone to a worker who leads police on a high-speed chase and decides the best place to hide is his own office. But one story takes things to another level. A well-liked warehouse employee convinces her coworkers to donate money after a supposed house fire. Weeks later, she tells them her adopted child has died, and they rally around her again. Then HR uncovers the truth: there was no adoption, no fire, and no child. You’ll hear: – A new hire who lights a cigarette next to 10,000 liters of acetone – An employee who publicly trashes his new company on his first day – Jason Bivins on a high-performing recruiter who becomes toxic to everyone around her – A Subway manager who catches two employees stealing in two completely different ways – A new hire who ignores safety policy and sends a semi-trailer sliding off the dock – An employee who fabricates an adoption, house fire, and child’s death to collect money from coworkers – A drunk new hire who shows up 12 hours early for his first shift – An employee who leads police on a high-speed chase straight back to work – A workplace situation where red flag after red flag eventually leads to an uninvited cross-country trip Key Takeaways: • Safety training only works when employees actually follow it. • A high performer can still be destructive to the culture around them. • Early red flags can become much bigger problems when they form a pattern. • Trust and compassion can unfortunately be exploited. • Past experience doesn’t give someone permission to ignore company policy. 💸 Think you’ve heard worse? Submit your Bad Hire story at TheBadHire.com for a chance to win $10,000. ⸻ Connect with Us: 🌐 Website: TheBadHire.com 📧 Email: team@thebadhire.com 📱 Instagram: @thebadhirepod 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/thebadhirepod 🎵 TikTok: @thebadhirepod 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/thebadhire — Sponsored by BChex: Need better background checks? BChex makes hiring safer, faster, and simpler. From visitor management to employee monitoring—BChex has you covered. www.bchex.io — 🎙️ Submit your own bad hire story for a chance to win $10,000 at TheBadHire.com