Bad Reference I Think I May Get Sacked.

wharty

Hi People Please please help.

In september last year i started a new job on an agency and 3 months later at the end of December i was made a permanent employee.
Since then i have gone on to make many new friends and i have really started to feel part of a really good team and i can honestly say i want this job till i retire in 36 years! I have no problems with the job and my employers are very very happy with my performance and i too with them. Because of this i have recently bought a new car, started paying off my debts, and six weeks ago i found out my wife was pregnant, I was the happiest i have ever been in my life until this morning.
So whats my problem then? Well this morning i recieved a letter from my current employer saying:-

"You are duly reminded that, to date, the company are not yet in reciept of the two references we require for you.
You will remember that our offer of permanent employment was made subject to the satisfactory reciept of these documents"

When i applied for the job i was aware of this and supplied them with the correct references(9 months ago) and i thought this had been done and dusted. Before i was made permanent i had been on the agency for about 18 months and had no problems at all ,and i was always being singled out by clients to come and work for them, but what i couldnt understand is why i was getting turned down from all the jobs i applied for while doing temporary work on the agency.
However the employer previous to my agency work sacked me 1 month before i had been there for 12 months. What i got sacked for was "nothing specific" my boss said, and he knew i didnt have a leg to stand on as i hadn't been there 12 months. I think over the last two and a half years i have proved my credibility, and the reason i was sacked to be "unfair"
I am pretty sure that it is this ex boss and his phoney references that has stopped me from getting previous jobs, and now i fear i will loose the job of my dreams
I would also like to say that i did tell my current manager before i handed the application in about my previous employer and the reason i was sacked.

The letter goes on to say:-

"Please ensure you chase up the THREE that we have requested from ...............,...........,and................ asap.

Alternativelly, can you please provide the details of TWO people we can gain on your behalf to gain this information, within 10 working days.

The letter confused me a bit because as you can see it says they requested THREE references but later they say i can provide TWO people.
Apart from the bad reference the other two who could have given me a reference have now left those companies.

Please help i am worried and confused.

Conor_3

Just give them two names of people you know will give you good references.

chuckley

so why did u put down that reference when u got 'sacked'. unless u explained it at the time, it looks suspect.

MrsBartolozzi

chuckley wrote: »

so why did u put down that reference when u got 'sacked'. unless u explained it at the time, it looks suspect.

Some agencies (including the one I work for) ask for the name of your most recent employer and then expect to get a reference from them, even if you only worked there for a few weeks! So either you don't mention the company you were sacked from and have a big gap in your CV or mention it and risk a bad reference. Rock and hard place.
Come to think of it several application forms I have filled in recently ask for your previous job details and name and number of contact person there. Even if you don't get a specific reference from them there is scope for a telephone reference asking why you left etc.

wharty

chuckley wrote: »

so why did u put down that reference when u got 'sacked'. unless u explained it at the time, it looks suspect.

As i said i did tell them i had been sacked from my previous job and was told not to worry about it.

I don't actually recall putting them down as a reference and this goes for the other jobs i applied for too. One employer told me i had one bad reference out of three i gave and refused to employ me and i know that the three i gave would have been good because one was my agency.
It looks to me that some employers have ignored my request and asked references from the previous employers section on my application.

LittleVoice

You became a permanent employee in December 2007. They let you start work. It is really too late for them to say the references are not satisfactory. (In the past, if I haven't received references before a potential employee's start date, I have used an agency to supply the person as a temporary on the basis that the person receives the same pay as they would as an employee. Once the references were received and OK, the person became an employee.)

It sounds like their HR department is catching up with some paperwork. At least if they get something they don't find satisfactory they would have the experience of your doing a good job of work for them in the meantime and there would be an opportunity for you to explain further.

LindsayO

my advice would be to find two people you worked with or for who you think likely to write you a good reference and ask them if they would be willing to do this.
then go to your current employer with the names and contact detail.
I expect at this point they will be happy as long as they have two satisfactory references for you on file

bathgatebuyer

I was once suspended on full pay from a job because references were not obtained from the 2 people I had given them the details of. Frustratingly for me, the girl in HR who had their addresses and other information never made the effort to contact the 2 referees. Indeed, the 2 referees I had chosen were absolutely livid when I phoned them to ask if they could provide references asap as I was being suspended, and they were adamant that they had never been asked.

It was a complete farce and I was only allowed back once I'd provided them with copies of my qualifications and the references. Ironically, the qualification documentation I had been asked to take to my interview and I can remember clearly the HR girl saying, "Yes, these are fine" but never taking copies of them. It was ridiculous.

Anyhow, to cut a long story short, I went to the meeting with HR and brought in all the documentation, listened to what they had to say then left anyway as I didn't want to work for such an incompetent organisation. I did put in a grievance before I left against one head of dept I had seen making nazi salutes behind a German customer's back (which I challenged her about at the time) and also made a complaint to the CIPD organisation about the behaviour of HR in all of this. Turns out that this employer of over 3000 people did not have a single member of the professional HR organisation employed there which suprised the hell out of me.

And finally, at the meeting with HR before I left, the wee nasty spiteful horrid HR woman who had dragged me out the office and refused to allow me to even phone home to get a lift to collect me and all my belongings made the mistake of leaving a cup of freshly brewed tea in her office. I made sure the dead fly that was on her window ledge was put in it.

It was an incredibly stressful time, but if you have names you can supply, then I'm sure you have nothing to worry about.

wharty

ok thanks everybody i feel a little bit better now but i would be lying if i told you i hadnt been looking for a new job and thinking of selling the car. Just have to wait and see what happens.
My only concern is what happens if i do get sacked? will i ever get another job if you always need a reference?

Savvy_Sue

I would start by contacting HR and asking whose names you gave originally, and who they are waiting for a reference from, and what sort of reference they want? If any of the names you gave originally are no longer with the companies you used to work for and you don't have any other contact details, ask what form the reference needs to take. If all they want is confirmation that you worked for the company (or agency) from X date to Y date, surely they could write to HR at the company and ask for just that.

If they want a character reference, then ask your most professional sounding friends if they would act in this capacity for you.

But I would also be asking why this is only being followed up so many months after you've started, and are presumably doing a good job!

And have you finished any probationary period? If you have, unless they can find some irregularity, I wouldn't think they can sack you! eg if you say you worked for Company A from 2001 to 2006, and Company B from 2006 to 2007, but Company A says you left in 2005, there would be a nasty gap there.

Actually, I'd be very tempted to give your current line manager's name as a referee, at this stage in the proceedings!

wharty

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

I would start by contacting HR and asking whose names you gave originally, and who they are waiting for a reference from, and what sort of reference they want? If any of the names you gave originally are no longer with the companies you used to work for and you don't have any other contact details, ask what form the reference needs to take. If all they want is confirmation that you worked for the company (or agency) from X date to Y date, surely they could write to HR at the company and ask for just that.

If they want a character reference, then ask your most professional sounding friends if they would act in this capacity for you.

But I would also be asking why this is only being followed up so many months after you've started, and are presumably doing a good job!

And have you finished any probationary period? If you have, unless they can find some irregularity, I wouldn't think they can sack you! eg if you say you worked for Company A from 2001 to 2006, and Company B from 2006 to 2007, but Company A says you left in 2005, there would be a nasty gap there.

Actually, I'd be very tempted to give your current line manager's name as a referee, at this stage in the proceedings!

Thanks savy sue i have finished my probation period about 6 months ago.
You talk a lot of sense and i have thought of asking my current manager.
I also realised that my sister in laws husband works for a company i used to work for in a role where if i still worked there he would be my boss!
Thanks again.