[kellycpa87]

Hi everyone,

Hope all goes well for you guys!

My name is Kelly and I am new to the forum. I am kindly seeking your help as I have encountered a problem with getting my boss to certify my general experience. Currently I am working for a government agency.

My boss rejected to sign off my general experience request verbally. Upon my request, my boss put the reasons in a written response for his basis to refuse my request. In one of the copies that he mailed to California Board of Accountancy, he stated that my work performance was not in compliance with applicable professional standards, particularly in the area of due professional care as defined under the Code of Professional Conduct, due to the following reasons:

1. Lack of technical skills

2. Lack of analytical skills

3. Lack of initiative to tackle complicated issues

4. Lack of planning and time management skills

He stated that he rejected my request based on his comments on my annual evaluation report and he hoped the Board would support his decision.

I had conflicts with him in the past and I knew he was intentionlly to impeding my certification progress.The evaluation report was brought up to me after I requested for my experience certification.

Saying my work performance lacking in compliance with applicable professional standards is a fairly serious charge to me as a professional and I have to defend it. Because I don’t want the Board to leave any negative records for me based on his comments. I am thinking if I should hire a lawyer to represent me to sue him for defamatory and to file a complaint to the enforcement division.

Any advise from you guys to fight against this unfair statement will be much appreciated!

Respectfully,

Kelly

[How many letters do you need]

What a dick. I would just move on if I were you. Go get another year of experience somewhere else. Then send him a sarcastic thank you card with a copy of your CPA in the middle.

As for the lawsuit….you can consult and of course you can sue anybody for anything in this country. I personally think it's a waste of time and effort. I would just move on.

MBA,CMA,CPA, CFF?, ABV?

[How many letters do you need]

…but not before I took a big crap on his desk….

MBA,CMA,CPA, CFF?, ABV?

[How many letters do you need]

….and pursued all options through the CBA…I'd probably pursue all options before the feces

MBA,CMA,CPA, CFF?, ABV?

[kellycpa87]

Hi “How many letters do you need”,

Thank you very much for your comments. I have decided to leave this place already but I just feel that if I don't fight for it and he believes he won the battle, he will use this same excuse to not to certify my coworkers.

I will take it up to the Board to fight for it for sure. Or it will create a negative impact for anybody who really contribute one year of hard-working efforts but got rejected based on their preference.

I don't believe in someone's cpa fate falling in a hand of a lousy boss. 🙁

[stoleway]

Your boss is d bag for sure, if you're incompetent as he's saying, why are u still employed then? Especially for the government. If you have a masters degree and dont plan of going into public accounting, I will advice you to get a non reporting license. I know government jobs are fairly stable so quiting will be a pain I guess

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Mass-CPA

[kellycpa87]

“Stoleway”,

Thank you for your comments.

I would like to go to public accounting. I am fine to leave my job as I have seen many things within the government agency people don't usually see from outside.

[mla1169]

Let me preface this by saying I think your boss is a jerk and I am not defending him.

Just move on. It will likely take you far more time, money and aggrivation to fight this than to just find a new job and satisfy the requirements. Unfortunately nobody is guaranteed a signature by their employer (they should be, but that's not the way it currently is) and the CBA requires that it be put in writing if a signature is declined. Since your boss appears to be out to get you, I truly believe putting up a fight will lead to more heartache for you especially if you have one or more negative performance reviews in your record. Remember pretty much all legal cases become a matter of record and you don't want a potential employer to google your name and see details of why your former boss felt that your work performance was substandard. Did they sit you down for a performance review at some point and tell you specifically where they feel you are not cutting it?

He's obviously in the wrong, as mentioned you shouldn't even have a job anymore if your performance is that unsatisfactory. And I do feel it's a fight you could actually win, but it would likely get ugly .

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
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Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[mla1169]

I am curious about this statement “anybody who really contribute one year of hard-working efforts but got rejected based on their preference” did you mean performance instead of preference or is there another issue going on?

Because performance is a big part of getting the experience signed off. Otherwise you'd only need to show proof of employment (paystubs etc) and wouldn't need a letter from a CPA.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Lindrobe]

Kelly, I understand that you do not think that your boss should get away with this, but is there someone else you can use to verify your experience? In Indiana, your experience only has to be verified by an active CPA. It does not even have to be your manager. I have had some disagreements with my manager and I have been looking for a new position for a couple months now. I wasn't sure if I would still be at my current job to have my manager sign off, so I already had a couple of backup CPAs I was planning to use to verify my experience if necessary.

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Licensed CPA, Indiana

"Successful people do things that unsuccessful people don't want to do"

[GoVPI]

Find someone else to sign off on your experience and tell him to shove it. You're smart enough to pass these exams. If you have the CPA, you're one of the highest professionals out there. Find another CPA to sign off (maybe someone who knows someone who knows someone) and tell your boss you're taking all those skills you “don't” have somewhere else.

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FAR

[Tripp11]

Maybe your boss is right, and you are deficient in multiple areas and he doesn't feel comfortable signing off on your experience. He was very specific in his reply stating you:

1. Lack of technical skills

2. Lack of analytical skills

3. Lack of initiative to tackle complicated issues

4. Lack of planning and time management skills

I wouldn't automatically dismiss his reply as having a personal issue with you. What is in it for him? Would he risk his own CPA license by blatantly misinforming the state board regarding your work? I see a whole lot of downside, but not much upside in doing this.

Have you discussed this in great detail with him, and perhaps asked him specifically about the things you can do to make progress and alleviate his concerns?

Have you talked to others in the chain of command, perhaps directly under him? Do they agree with his assessment?

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[zieba]

Daaaaaaamn. Sounds like a scorned superior with an axe to grind. Has he tried to put the moves on you in the past or something? It's either that, or you'd be a great lead for the remake of Clueless. That's a VERY strong reaction to have.

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Dr: intelligence
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[M.O.D.]

I think the CBA can overrule him. Ie. if you have evidence of employment, and the CPA is a jerk, the CBA will sign for you.

So, I would avoid open conflict if I were you. Just leave him out of the loop and deal only with the CBA. Let them contact him and discover the jerk he is.

And I would be walking out today, if not earlier. His insults create a toxic environment for everyone involved.

Send your resignation letter to his superiors and explain why you have to leave.

BA Mathematics, UC Berkeley
Certificates in CPA and EA preparation, College of San Mateo
CMA I 420, II 470
FAR 91, AUD Feb 2015 (Gleim self-study)

[Anonymous]

There is another board addressing this subject and has some comments that specifically apply to California. You should find it and pursue the avenues listed. Pursue all avenues and don't be afraid to sue him and take a dump on his desk if need be. Find another job, too. I don't see how you could ever work together after this.

Also, I looked at the California experience attestation. It doesn't ask about the caliber of your performance, only that you did in fact have qualifying experience.

While I agree that incompetent people should not become CPAs, I feel it's important to remember that the requirements to be a CPA are to the standard of a person that has ONE year of experience. An entry level position cannot be expected to have the same level of due professional care as a person with many years experience. That's why there are reviewers and checks and balances in place to at the employer level, professional level, and State AND Federal level which ensure that people who are incompetent do not remain in the profession. These checks and balances include the right to fire an employee, peer reviews, CPE, State, Federal, and IRS regs.

[MassiveDynamic]

WOW what a dick your boss is. Do you have any copies of performance reviews citing acceptable/satisfactory work that you have done for the company? Also a job description for your current position? Those supporting docs could be powerful proof to the CBA that your boss is in the wrong.

Also steams me that a CPA thinks someone is capable of passing the exam without (allegedly) technical skills, analytical skills, planning and time management skills…. for real?

B 85 Aug 2015
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R 78 May 2015
F 76 Jul 2015
DONE!!

[Author]

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