Has anyone been suspended from working due to a Subject stating you falsified information in your report ? I had a Subject lie and say he never said any of the things he said to me even though it all in my notes . So I did my statement to that effect and now I have been suspended without pay pending investigation. I’m very angry they would take the word of a subject over mine and I have been in the contract all most 9 years with nothing like this ever happening. Does anyone know the process ?
I’m sorry this happened to you. I don’t know the process I’m not surprised by this kind of treatment. I hope you get reinstated. There is one particular company twith a history of doing this to. people . A close friend was fired with no reason given. I know for a fact she did nothing wrong. The only thing I can figure is a certain company loves showing off how bad a** they are to the customer and showing how they’re super secure and keep a close eye on the minions, almost like they have a self set quota. Good luck friend.
You fed? Contractor? Or Independent contractor?
This company did the same thing to me in 2015. They told me nothing other than there was a negative re interview letter. I applied for unemployment benefits and received them because this company did not respond to the state’s inquiry regarding my eligibility to receive benefits. My section lead did nothing to help me. One month in to my suspension, I contacted my congressional representative at the time. Within 30 days, I was called to the local OPM office to give a sworn statement with the SAC. That’s when I found out that an elderly gentleman that I had interviewed six months earlier did not remember me. Fortunately, for me, I have excellent recall, and this particular case was one that I remembered for various reasons. Shortly after giving my sworn statement, this company called me and asked me if I wanted to return. I did so I could get my creds anf accesses back (I had already lined another position up because I knew I had done nothing wrong, and fortunately so did others outside of this company). I was able to give my two weeks notice and move on.
Good luck to you. It is sad that this company thinks they have the highest integrity in the business, and yet they treat their employees like dirt.
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What happened to you is a way for them to save face.
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I am a contractor . I did a sworn statement and then a week later they suspended me . I’m going to try for unemployment benefits and yes everyone that I know knows I did nothing wrong . I work for Caci and over the years I feel like they are not about their employees at all . I think maybe the Subject didn’t get adjudicated and then complained about me . He had several issues to include drug and criminal history . I had to send all my equipment (laptop , printer , cell, creds , files) in so I just feel like they are waiting to terminate me which will revoke my clearance and I’ll never be able to get employment again that requires a clearance . It’s bs but at this point I don’t know what to do .
It’s crazy they can just suspend you without pay because of a single complaint from a jaded subject
“Thinks they have the highest integrity” is an accurate statement,
The person in that article gives us all a bad name and it’s a shame that people like that make it difficult for all of us to do our job. My notes and reports match they did tell me that . I have no idea why or how this came about it was just my summation of a jaded subject. I do think I’ll be cleared but then I’m going to resign, I just want my name cleared and it’s pretty crappy to not have the company on my side . No one deserves to be treated this way . My section lead told me he knew nothing of the investigation and he could not help me . So be it .
It is all sad but true. Sometimes it’s not the company treating investigators so poorly, it’s the customer that insists on the company removing investigators from the field. The IA departments of some of these companies are sometimes quite overzealous and unrealistic in their reinvestigations. An organized labor union among investigators would be a great way to combat this. Investigators always need to make themselves the priority and throw company/customer loyalty out the window.
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I’ve been clamoring for a union for years. I’ve had complaints filed against me by Subject and Sources over 20 years of doing this job. All of the complaints were bogus and allegations false against me. My statements and notes and reputation proved my innocence and I luckily had a CL that stood up for me and knew the allegations were false. But all it takes is one false allegation to destroy our career and the DCSA customer will rarely to never stand by an Investigator. They almost always throw the Investigator out with the bath water. This is a very very challenging and difficult industry that doesn’t value the most important asset of the industry, “The Investigator!”
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This is exactly why interviews should be recorded…. all interviews. Sources, records, and Subject interviews. It’s our word against theirs. If companies and agencies are going to side with an allegation of falsification even if the sworn statement and notes confirm the Investigator’s report of investigation, then we have absolutely no protection. But if the interview was recorded, we would have protection from false allegations. So unfair. I’m very sorry for what happened to you if what you are saying is in fact true. Hopefully you are exonerated after the investigation. Best of luck and best wishes to your career and success in proving your innocence.
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Thank you and yes what I am saying is true . I don’t appreciate my integrity being questioned (not directed at you) . I just said the other day a union would be great for us BI . One way or another I’ll be fine but it is bs and recording interviews is a great idea .
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The Association of Certified Background Investigators (ACBI) is an organization that should take the bull by the horn and form a union. They have the most organization and communication with independent federal contract investigators. We just need a way to organize and communicate with the other thousands of hourly CACI and Peraton Investigators with all of their sub contractor workforce and communication with all of the other IC’s that have no affiliation whatsoever with ACBI. The problem is nobody has access to people’s contact information and phone numbers to organize such efforts with this vast and isolated investigator workforce.
I don’t even know how such a union is formed or initiated. Don’t even know if a union is possible with this BI industry with the isolation and remote independent workforce but certainly it doesn’t seem completely impossible. This is completely above and beyond my knowledge and expertise but I would be the first to pay union dues and fees if a union was formed.
In general, I’ve never been a big fan of unions but it would provide us protection against false accusations and false allegations; provide us negotiating power for better pay and conditions; ask for professional wages conducting national security work; paid training for IC’s; request to conduct work in person as a matter of preference if more convenient and efficient; etc.
The industry could change for the better with a Background Investigator’s union but my guess is with the union being a federal contractor union, it’s shrouded in massive red tape!
Unions are cannibalistic in nature, meaning they can and will destroy the employers while trying to get the best deals for their members. It has happened more than once. But, they are still a necessary evil. The secret is to have trustworthy people at the top and remind members to not get too greedy. Easier said than done.
After the past issues with FI’s faking interviews, I don’t think they have a choice but to overreact to “prove” they are doing everything to prevent it from happening again. That being said, there should be a better way to handle it than this. It should not be that hard to determine who is lying when it’s an experienced FI with no previous issues vs a questionable Subject. I’m sorry this happened to you Susan.
It makes sense you would be suspended during the investigation. I do not believe it is fair that the suspension is without pay. However, if you are a contractor, I am not surprised that it is without pay. In my experience, if a contractor company cannot bill the government, they won’t pay the employee.
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I would also like to clarify a few things . I worked part time and the case I’m being accused of falsifying was worked 4 months ago and I did not meet production that month . So to me with no history of any wrong doing and not meeting production it would point to me not falsifying an item/investigation . However the powers that be deemed it necessary to treat me like I did some thing wrong , so be it.
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It really is unfair that you have to defend your integrity based on a he said she said scenario. Back when I was doing investigations I would scan my notes and email them to myself just to have a backup record and to refresh my memory if ever needed. Here is an example of why some companies go way overboard when a complaint is made: Former Background Investigator Denied Security Clearance | ClearanceJobs Blog
Someone said I had never interviewed them. When I was called, I was able to identify the contact because I talked to her at her front door, and while standing there, I looked over her shoulder, and she had a blue and yellow couch, which was lovely. I mentioned that in my “you didn’t do this” questioning, and they were able to confirm she did have that couch. Good luck.
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