The Bad Hire Podcast

She Faked Her Child’s Death for Money

September 9, 2026·38 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

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 tripKey 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

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