URGENT HELP - Current boss & reference

dilemma10

Hi,
It's me again, I am having some difficulties serving out my notice period as like a bolt out of the blue my current employer is not threatening four options for the new employer.
I have worked damn hard for two years and am starting a new job in the same sector on 6th August. I have been to hell and back but recently have tarnished my image in the company through a series of stupid mishaps.
1) I put £20 petrol for a round trip direct on the credit card - even though I calculated the amount of mileage and filled up specifically to this amount.
2) I put £500 for a congestion charge on the corporate credit card as the bailiff turned up at 6am on the morning of a flight abroad. Obviously with the intention of re-paying ASAP. I have regretted this since the day I did it. I arranged immediate payment with my boss but she has since sent letters/informed board of directors. However, we seemed to clear it up.
3) Just before my holiday my grandma passed away and so I needed to use the 'work phone' this struck up charges which I paid. The phone is in MY name and is credit checked to my address and all account details to my name. However, work has just forced me to sign it over to them. They just pay a flat rate of £44 a month.
Today, despite a glowing telephone call to new boss, my existing boss has said on the reference request that she has no choice but to tell them about these things or I can withdraw her as a referee OR she could meet with my new boss and I or she can do a reference adding on the above mishaps.

Let me reiterate I have been foolish but I work 70 hour weeks for this org on the lowest pay in the company. I bend over backwards. She shouted at me down the phone when I gave in my resignation. I am bullied by her on twitter and in person.

I have told the new company's deputy chief exec who is going to tell my new boss today. Do you think they'll still employ me?

I am devastated.

getmore4less

If the phone is yours and your contract and you are responsible for the bills then it is your phone.

How can they force you to hand over the contract?

Not clear what the petrol issue is. breach of policy?, over charge?

£500 on the company card for personal issues with congestion charge is the one to worry about.

Bailifs don't just turn up so it is more serious that you ignored the debts and have issues on your credit records now.

As said before the new company needs to know there may be an issue with the reference and there is some animosity over you leaving.

Has this £500 come up before, I can't remember all you posts?

bap98189

So as I understand the three events:

1. You put fuel you should have paid for personally on a company credit card.
2. You put £500 of personal debt on the company credit card.
3. You used a work mobile for personal calls.

So that's two counts of misuse of a company credit card and one count of misuse of a work phone, presumably with a disciplinary record to reflect this. These are not mishaps, in many companies you would no longer be employed.

To be honest, I'm not surprised that your boss feels he/she has to mention all of the above in a reference. And if I were your potential new employer than I'm afraid I would be withdrawing the job offer as soon as this came to light. How hard you work and whether you feel you have been bullied are irrelevant. You may not want to hear this but your record shows that you are not someone who can be trusted and it's down there in black and white.

marybelle01

I have got to admit that I am struggling to understand - are you saying that you have been disciplined, or are going to be disciplined, over these "mishaps". Because I am not at all clear about what your employer is going to tell the new employer if you haven't been disciplined. And if you have been disciplined - well it's fair game.

Also - seems like an awful lot of mishaps.... Did you ever have mishaps where you used your personal cards / phone for business stuff, or was it just your employers things that you had mishaps with?

dilemma10

bap98189 wrote: »

So as I understand the three events:

1. You put fuel you should have paid for personally on a company credit card.
2. You put £500 of personal debt on the company credit card.
3. You used a work mobile for personal calls.

So that's two counts of misuse of a company credit card and one count of misuse of a work phone, presumably with a disciplinary record to reflect this. These are not mishaps, in many companies you would no longer be employed.

To be honest, I'm not surprised that your boss feels he/she has to mention all of the above in a reference. And if I were your potential new employer than I'm afraid I would be withdrawing the job offer as soon as this came to light. How hard you work and whether you feel you have been bullied are irrelevant. You may not want to hear this but your record shows that you are not someone who can be trusted and it's down there in black and white.

It is not as black and white as that.
The phone is in my name, the company just pays the flat rate.
The credit card was a disaster yes.

dilemma10

marybelle01 wrote: »

I have got to admit that I am struggling to understand - are you saying that you have been disciplined, or are going to be disciplined, over these "mishaps". Because I am not at all clear about what your employer is going to tell the new employer if you haven't been disciplined. And if you have been disciplined - well it's fair game.

Also - seems like an awful lot of mishaps.... Did you ever have mishaps where you used your personal cards / phone for business stuff, or was it just your employers things that you had mishaps with?

Yes, I have spent lots of money unclaimed for on my own personal cards. For the first two years we did not have a credit card and so everything was reimbursed back to me 4 to 8 weeks later.

dilemma10

dilemma10 wrote: »

It is not as black and white as that.
The phone is in my name, the company just pays the flat rate.
The credit card was a disaster yes.

The fuel was NOT personal fuel. It was on the DAY of a return trip done consecutively without any personal trips included. Still stupid but not gained from it.

getmore4less

The fuel one makes no sense what is the real issue?

Same with phone it's your phone your bill, what is the issue.
Why have you given the company your phone?

dilemma10

getmore4less wrote: »

The fuel one makes no sense what is the real issue?

Same with phone it's your phone your bill, what is the issue.
Why have you given the company your phone?

Apparently I should write down fuel in mileage rather than directly calculate and put into the car.

getmore4less

still don't understand.

If you can't explain to us the new employer may not understand either

you need to try to make the phone and fuel non events.

Can you use the company credit card for putting fuel in the car?
If you can what did you do wrong?
If you can't why did you?

Acc72

getmore4less wrote: »

If you can't explain to us the new employer may not understand either

I agree with the above.


Also, it is not clear what your current situation is :

-Were you disciplined for the above events ?

-Are you still employed by the company and you have just applied for another job, or were you dismissed by the company (again, if so was this after a full investigation and disciplinary etc.) ?