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Take The Lie Detector Test Or Not? (1 Viewer)

Randy Tennison

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"The Employee Polygraph Protection Act prohibits most private employers from using a lie detector tests either for pre-employment screening or during the course of employment."

This is the vebage on posters required to be displayed in every workplace. Here's a link

So, your boss can't require you to take the test. And if he fires you for not taking the test, you would have recourse.

Polygraphs are only as good as the examiner. I've taken polygraphs for employment as a police officer, and have seen very different results. I failed a polygraph where I have on doubt that I told the complete truth. I had a lousy examiner.

The homeowner needs to contact the police, and let them do the investigation. Plain and simple.
 

Cees Alons

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To be frank: I would laugh about it and take the test. It's worthless anyway, doesn't prove a thing one way or another and apparently the results are not useable in court.

But then again, we simply don't have this practice here at all, so to me it looks rather inconsequential.

Also, I like Robert_Gaither's suggestion. And it would be reasonable to demand that all employees or other possible "suspects" be treated the same.


Cees
 

Dave_Brown

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First thing I would do is the path of least resistance, which would be to flat out refuse a test as unreliable as the polygraph is. But, if you decide to humor them;

I would be asking a few more questions before agreeing to anything.
Say you take the test and for some freak reason, you "fail" according to the examiner. Then what? Are you fired? Will they get the police involved and try to press criminal charges against you? What I would want to know is 1. the reason behind the test and 2. what will happen after the test, if you pass or fail. And get everything in writing if possible.

If the boss really were trying to appease his customer/neighbor and protect his employees at the same time, then he should either buy the guy a new laptop or tell him that if he wishes to investigate the matter, he needs to get the police involved. Odds are the police won't do much other than issue a report that the owner can turn into his home owners insurance company.
 

Dave Poehlman

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1. Say "no" to the lie detector.

2. When they fire you for not taking it, sue thier ass off and buy their company.

3. Fire them.
 

Mary M S

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Don’t know if this will help in your decision. But I am firm on the topic due to personal experience.
When I was 16 17? I sneaked out of my home at midnight with my best friend to go see her boyfriend a few blocks over, whose parents were out of town. (So were mine, or I would have never had the nerve, my grandmother was housesitting us).

A guy I had been chasing lived across the street from my best friend’s boyfriend, he had a long standing girlfriend who was not happy about her boyfriend and myself on occasion hanging out more frequently.
He knocks on the door of the home we are in.

Tells us that someone stole a large collection of tapes out of his car, and he has just reported us, to the police as minors whom he saw at his car and coming between his house and the house next door! (We never even walked down his side of the street that evening)
I freak out since he informs me the police will be contacting our parents. (and that was so much worse than the police….THE PARENTS.)

Sure enough the police did. In my naiveté when they asked. “Would you take a lie detector?” I stated “Of Course!! I don’t have anything to hide” …my parents already knew the worst, - that I had been out, and, - I was already grounded for the next 5 years.

We failed! Either that…or it was inconclusive and the police lied to us hoping to generate a ‘confession?” They told me that mine showed I was involved or had knowledge of the act, and that my girlfriend results indicated she had involvement in the actual theft.

For some reason nothing was done the day of the test but an officer showed up at my parents home on a later date. He, requesting me to sign a statement that I had had “possible involvement” in commission of a theft, but that all charges were dropped due to lack of evidence or admission. I refused.
Stating I won’t sign anything which suggests I was “involved” because I was not. We then spent about 30 min while he threatened me. He continued to the point of scaring my mother, Dad was not home yet. Mom, who at first told me not to sign if I did not feel comfortable, due to the increasing animosity
of the officer finally broke down herself, telling me it was probably best I sign the statement.
The officer indicating that if I signed, -case closed, nothing would be done further,. nada. nada.
However when I refused on the grounds the statement was not true he threatened me for a long while (and pretty viciously) telling me if I did refuse, the police would take it further, do this /that/ (I can’t remember what all he threatened) He appeared downright enraged by my assertions that I refused on the grounds that I DID NOT DO IT, and I would be lying if I signed it.

Finally he scratched out the “possibly involved” and yelled “Now will you sign the damm thing” I did (checking that the scratch out went through to the carbon, before I signed :) at that point I swear his arm jerked like he wanted to hit me). End of story.

It traumatized me terribly. While not keeping me from functioning as an adult in society :) I have never forgotten it. I came from an ultra conservative family. From 16 to 18 I broke the bounds of a strict upbringing and had some scary moments those years, (this incident being the highlight) mainly the usual (nothing-ever-really-happened young-dumb-and lucky) that consisted of sneaking out at night and doing underage drinking in parks.

I will NEVER put stock in lie detectors results, when results are reported in the media, as pass or fail. A few years older and wiser I see what these tests are based on, AND the additional variable of the quality of the administrator, quite frankly I detest and am horrified at the continued usage of these even as an inadmissible law enforcement tool. You might as well use a Tarot Card deck to determine culpability. People are capable of passing (or failing) regardless of facts. They need to send these tests into the dustbin where our various past histories of failed attempts at divination reside, such as ancient priesthood’s interpretations of entrails of animals.
While the police could have been lying to my girlfriend and myself, in hopes of scaring a confession. My best read on the circumstances at the time, was that very likely the results did to some degree register a “fail” for us on these tests.

She and I were never apart that evening, it was not possible for her to have done it, and I know I did not.
I will never take another one, and advise anyone who asks, not to.
 

Michael Mathius

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You stated that you stopped by with your boss.

Did you leave with him?

If so then I would refuse to take a lie detect to test.

I would also call the local bar association and ask for the name of a lawyer who provides free initial consultations.

Good Luck.
 

Chu Gai

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I wouldn't. Out of curiousity, does this guy have a wife and kids? Maybe they, including him, ought to volunteer to take the test. Then pay the tester $10 and have him ask the neighbor if he ever cheated on his wife.
 

DaveF

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I don't know what I would do in your situation. I would be disinclined to submit to the polygraph test, but I'm not in your shoes. That said...
My intuition (as a scientist) is a systematic attempt to defeat a polygraph by an unpracticed layman will be ineffective. You might even make the polygrapher's job easier by creating physical states which differentiate between your truths and lies. My guess is that if you want to defeat it, you need to be so stressed out that your physical situation overwhelms any additional effects from lying.
 

george kaplan

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Well the "government" isn't a single entity. The parts of the government that use lie detectors don't believe that they detect lies, they believe that they can be used to coerce or scare confessions out of people. The FBI know a lie detector can't tell if you're lying, but they make use of the fact that the suspect doesn't know that.
 

Jeff Ulmer

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If it isn't true, and it is injurious to your reputation, it is slander.

I would not take the test. For that matter, who's to say the customer isn't lying about having a laptop or having it stolen? Why is he afraid of calling in the police? Why hasn't he filed on his insurance?
 

DaveF

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Obviously. But you were the one who initially referred to the "gov't" as a singular entity; I just followed suit. The people in the government zealously concerned with truth and fiction find value in polygraphs. That tells me that they may be flawed but can be useful.
 

Joe Szott

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Since you didn't do it and have the alibi to prove it (you were there 10 mins total with your boss, and left with him), you have nothing to gain and everything to lose by taking some wishy-washy test.

Just tell your boss that:

A) You don't believe lie detectors even work.
B) Since you two were together the whole time and left together he should vouch for you.
C) The police should be involved so they can catch the *actual* thief. He's wasting his time by pursuing you, the cops will know that within 30 mins of taking the case.
 

Aaron Reynolds

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I think this is great. Especially the part about the kids -- if the parent is suspicious at all that their kids did it but are trying to make himself feel better by deflecting the blame onto you, this will probably diffuse the whole situation and make him back down.

Maybe you should offer to sign a sworn statement that you did not take the laptop?
 

Jed M

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So I guess its ok to start spreading the "truth" about you being gay across the internet if I "actually believe" it? Thats ridiculous.

I wouldn't take the test unless the home owner agreed to one also.
 

Jeff Ulmer

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If a theft has actually taken place, there is no reason not to call in the police. If the homeowner is trying to pull a scam, he has every reason not to call in the police. If someone in your company DID steal the computer, your boss should have insurance to cover it, and there should be an investigation into the real thief.

If you know you are innocent, perhaps YOU should call in the police. You are under no obligation to take this test, your integrity is being unfairly questioned, and your job is on the line.

If what you have said is true, I think this homeowner may be trying to get a discount on the installation by coming up with false allegations.
 

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