Don’t lie. Honesty is the Best Policy. Honesty in the Work Place and in Life.

A few months ago I found a set of table and chairs that was being discarded from an apartment move out. They were in good condition so I decided to save them by putting them in one of the storage rooms on site. 

I posted them for sale online and found a buyer. The buyer was far away but they were willing to drive out to come pick up the set. We arranged for pickup the next day. In the morning, they confirmed they were on their way. I went to the storage room to get the items ready, but to my surprise, they were not there!

This was a locked storage room that was not easily accessible but apparently someone went in and took the items out. There were only a few of my co-workers who had a key to that room. I quickly asked them if anyone took the items out or know where they went, but everyone said no.

So I messaged the buyer and told them not to come because I no longer had the table and chairs. Unfortunately they were already on the road and did not check their messages. I wrote a few more messages, but they did not see them until they got all the way here. As you can imagine, they were very upset when they realized they drove all that way for nothing. I ended up getting a bad rating as a result. 

After this happened I asked our manager to check the cameras to see who went in the storage room. After checking the cameras, the manager was kind of vague about it and basically said it does not matter who took it at this point. Even though the manager did not confirm who took it, it was clear one of our employees did but she didn’t want to cause any conflict within the team. 

Cut to a few months later, we are doing apartment inspections and I happen to be assigned to inspect one of the units where one of our co-workers lives on site. As soon as I go in, what do I see? The exact table and chairs that were taken from the storage room.

The next day I decide to confront him about it. I knew it would not go well, but I felt like I should mention it because if I did not, it would be like letting him get away with it. 

So first thing in the morning I mentioned how I saw the table and chairs that was taken from the storage room and reminded him that he told me he did not take them. Immediately he got upset with me for accusing him and claimed he bought them.

The thing is, this is a very distinctive set that is not made anymore and the exact number of pieces that were in the storage room were now in his dining room. About 3 people had the key to that room where they went missing, and coincidentally it just so happened to appear in the apartment of one of those 3 people. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what happened.

Despite this, he still did not admit to it. I didn’t want to keep pressing it because I knew the truth and there was no point in making matters worse, so I just let it go. 

I was pretty disappointed with him, not because he took the table and chairs, but more so because he was dishonest with me, not only initially, but because he continued to be dishonest even when being caught with indisputable evidence. 

We went on with our work day without any issue, but something like this stays with you and now I know I cannot trust him. Trust is very important, not just in the work place but in life in general.

I can see how people lie frequently to try to save themselves in the short term, but examples like this show how lying just makes things worse in the long run.

He had the option to admit his mistake and apologize for lying to me which would have been the mature thing to do. Instead he continued to lie even more and as a result he damaged his character even more. 

The moral of the story is don’t lie. Honesty is the best policy. Yes it might be tempting to lie especially if you think you can get away with it, but over time that dishonesty builds up and people see it. It will have a negative affect on you in the long run if you are seen as a person who is dishonest and cannot be trusted. 

Next time you are confronted with a situation where you might consider lying, do the right thing and just tell the truth. People will respect you more for doing this rather than lying to them.