Called in to discuss a few things......?

dollydebs

I applied for a job at a care home and having received my 2nd reference they have called me in to discuss a few things at 2.30 today. I left my last job in September, due to ill health (I was suffering from an eating disorder) and was getting into trouble due to the time I was having off. I worked for the company for 9 years and overall my attendance was very good - apart from a bad spell last year. I am now in recovery and am really eager to get back into work. I have a feeling they want to discuss my attendance - do I be upfront & honest with them?. Would my ex employer have agreed to give me a reference if she was going to say anything bad about me? Really worried now.....! Please help. Thanks.xx

Savvy_Sue

Your ex employer may not have said anything 'bad' about you: they may have just answered questions truthfully. If your 'new' employer asks questions like 'how much sick leave did this person take' then your record doesn't look good.

And refusing to give a reference wouldn't look great either, would it?

In which case I'd be reasonably honest and up front: you may not want to go into all the details, but it will probably help if you can say that any medical professionals you see agree that you're ready to go back to work. Some employers would just say "no, this reference isn't good enough" so it's a good sign if they're ready to discuss it with you.

Wyndham

If you are getting treatment, and it is now under control (if that is the right phrase?) then you can say that as well. That way you're saying 'yes, there was a problem with affected my attendance, but it's OK now and unlikely to happen again'.

I have an eye condition which changed last year and meant I took a fair bit of time off. I now have the right medication and it's under control, so this is how I'd explain it to anyone who asked.

dollydebs

Thanks very much for your replies.

They did question my abscence but I explained I had been suffering from an illness last year and that it was "under control". They didn't want me to go into great detail and offered me the job!. They said that other than my abscences the reference they were given said very good things about me! So chuffed to be back working and hope never to find myself in that situation again!. xx

choclover

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

And refusing to give a reference wouldn't look great either, would it?

Some companies these days don't even give references, my last employer doesn't and either does my current one.

mancitychick

dollydebs wrote: »

Thanks very much for your replies.

They did question my abscence but I explained I had been suffering from an illness last year and that it was "under control". They didn't want me to go into great detail and offered me the job!. They said that other than my abscences the reference they were given said very good things about me! So chuffed to be back working and hope never to find myself in that situation again!. xx

Well done!

Savvy_Sue

choclover wrote: »

Some companies these days don't even give references, my last employer doesn't and either does my current one.

Yes, but my comment was in response to

dollydebs wrote: »

Would my ex employer have agreed to give me a reference if she was going to say anything bad about me?

It's best if employers have a consistent policy: if that's not to give references at all, then fair enough. If they do give references, then they need to be factual. Sounds as if this one was, and an enlightened new employer has asked for clarification rather than just saying 'no'. Good news all round.