Will dismissal affect job prospects?

Chris802

My wife has been in her current job for nearly 8 months and is still within the probation period. Unfortunately she has been unable to work at the level required of her and her employer has made it fairly clear that she will be dismissed in 2 weeks time when she has a final performance review. She will hand in her resignation at this stage but apparently the fact that she was failing in her performance will go on her reference for her next job and her union has confirmed this.

Is this going to affect her job prospects?

She has been applying for jobs at a lower level for the past month but she is worrying about how to explain the black mark on her employment record. At 46 she has never been unemployed before and prior to this had an excellent employment record.

I take the attitude that if you reach the job interview stage then you honestly explain that the job was simply beyond you and that you're now looking for jobs within your capabilities. Surely they can't hold this against you or am I being naive?

meer53

My son was dismissed for gross misconduct from a well known retailer 2 years ago. He's been working for his Dads company ever since but started applying for other jobs when he was made redundant in March this year. He has recently been offered 2 jobs, one for a bank and one for a well know high street electrical store and explained what happened at both interviews. He started working for the bank 2 weeks ago.
He had to provide all the documentation from the dismissal interviews (transcripts of meetings etc) before they would offer him a job. Luckily his dismissal wasnt for his performance but to do with misuse of a discount card (on one occasion only, and in error, but another member of staff had abused the system many times and mentioned my son had also done it, so they had to dismiss them both)

I think that as long as you are honest in any interviews and that you have the paperwork from the dismissal then your wife should be ok. Was she not given the chance to tell her employer that she was struggling, and if she did, what did they do about it ? What help have the union offered ? Without knowing the full story it seems a bit harsh.

Chris802

You're right it is very harsh. However her manager has been quite unreasonable about the whole thing offering no help or advice and seems to go out of his way to make her life difficult.

The union rep agrees that my wife has been bullied but as she is on the probation period he is unable to do much to help other than sit in on meetings to deter any further unreasonable behaviour on the part of her manager.

My wife can't wait to leave as she has had enough. The whole situation is appalling but she just wants to put it behind her and move on.

dandelionclock30

I've been dismissed and I told a prospective employer at an interview a few weeks ago.I got a nice letter back and a phone call with feedback.I was told that I didnt get the job because I wasnt the best at the interview.There were 100 applicants for the post! I was informed that the dismissal had nothing to do with it and that if I had been the best at the interview they would have wanted more details about it.
Basically I was told that I would have been put on extended probation and would have been monitored more.Which I feel is fair enough.I was also told it was not just a reflection on me but also on my previous employer!
I know quite a few people who have been dismissed from professional jobs and people who have jumped before they have been pushed.All have managed to get good jobs again. I do think its harder though.
If I was an employer I would consider someone who had been dismissed as long as it wasnt for something really bad like stealing from the previous employer or assaulting a colleague etc.

Torry_Quine

I'm pleased to see that the consensus is to be open and upfront as that is what I feel. The problem is often not the dismissal per se but the attempt to cover it up.

smileylondongal

I think you've got the right attitude when you say the role was simply beyond your wife's level. There's no shame in that and good on her for wanting to be ambitious. Life doesn't always work out the way you wish it.

I wouldn't not hire someone on this basis and I think a 3 month probation period would be more than enough to see how someone is taking to a role.