NHS Job Offer conditional on references...

maddocks_2

But - I'm not from the NHS. And by the rules it has to be my last line manager who still doesn't know I'm leaving.

And as soon as they get this they could just ask me to leave on one week's or one month's notice, leaving me in the lurch without any income until my DBS checks are redone (I have CRB which is now 18 months old). I could get the reference refused completely as the current employer don't want me to leave (which is allowed legally iirc).

Why on earth do they ask for current manager? Surely this puts people in danger of not having any income while the admin picks up?

What do you do?

mountainofdebt

Be honest with your line manager - and its not just the NHS ....I think most prospective employers would find it odd if your last manager wasn't given as a reference.

maddocks_2

mountainofdebt wrote: »

Be honest with your line manager - and its not just the NHS ....I think most prospective employers would find it odd if your last manager wasn't given as a reference.

So I potentially get fired while the NHS get the paperwork sorted, leaving me with a gap between employment?

Usually, I've gone private sector -> private sector, so the notice period is one month and the references take about a week. Here though, it could take 6 months for the NHS to approve everything and I'm then left with my current employer probably forced to quit there and then at the point I request the reference.

ohreally

Ask yourself again why you want to work in the NHS.

Torry_Quine

I'm surprised that you're surprised. It makes perfect sense and totally normal for a prospective employer to want a reference from the current employer.

pmd123

maddocks wrote: »

Here though, it could take 6 months for the NHS to approve everything and I'm then left with my current employer probably forced to quit there and then at the point I request the reference.

Why do you think it could take up to 6 months? Last person I took on in the NHS took 6 weeks from interview to them starting, including all appropriate checks and references received.

All NHS jobs would require a reference from your most recent employer, and if someone was reluctant to provide this I'd be worried they had something to hide.

BillJones

maddocks wrote: »

So I potentially get fired while the NHS get the paperwork sorted, leaving me with a gap between employment?

Usually, I've gone private sector -> private sector, so the notice period is one month and the references take about a week. Here though, it could take 6 months for the NHS to approve everything and I'm then left with my current employer probably forced to quit there and then at the point I request the reference.

Why do you think that you'll be fired? Have you being doing something that you shouldn't, or do you just not think that you do anything important for your current firm?

People come, and people go, it's not standard practice to fire someone just because they are looking at other options. It'd actually be more normal to try to convince staff to stay, often by offering them a better package.

Mrs_Ryan

NHS reference procedures are a nightmare. My mate went for a job in the NHS and because she was self-employed for a few years they said they considered her to have been unemployed (the dozy cow I spoke to at the HR said well self employed people are unemployed as they aren't employed by anyone but themselves!) and made her provide eight character references which still weren't even enough! and to be fair when I started in the NHS they told me I had the job in the March but couldn't start me till the August so that's five months- not so far from 6 months mentioned..

elsien

I've just applied for a DBS and it came through in less than 3 weeks. If you already have a CRB it's much quicker than it used to be.

maddocks_2

pmd123 wrote: »

Why do you think it could take up to 6 months? Last person I took on in the NHS took 6 weeks from interview to them starting, including all appropriate checks and references received.

All NHS jobs would require a reference from your most recent employer, and if someone was reluctant to provide this I'd be worried they had something to hide.

I'm fine to provide the reference. It's more that as soon as the reference is asked for, I'll be asked to hand my notice in, and on good faith, I will sort of have to as I don't want to burn bridges.

Normally this isn't a problem as the new company doesn't take too long to verify references and offer a start date.

I've heard horror stories though that this could take 6 months or more (in fact, a friend of mine has started as a HCA and it took 3 months for all her checks to come through). I could last 2 months with no income as I have savings for these sorts of emergencies, but not 6 months.

Vectis

maddocks wrote: »

I'm fine to provide the reference. It's more that as soon as the reference is asked for, I'll be asked to hand my notice in, and on good faith, I will sort of have to as I don't want to burn bridges.

Normally this isn't a problem as the new company doesn't take too long to verify references and offer a start date.

I've heard horror stories though that this could take 6 months or more (in fact, a friend of mine has started as a HCA and it took 3 months for all her checks to come through). I could last 2 months with no income as I have savings for these sorts of emergencies, but not 6 months.

Why would you be asked to hand your notice in, simply because you were looking for another job? And why do you think you 'will sort of have to' resign straight away?

What sort of job is it you do that they'd expect you to resign because you've applied for another job? I can't think of any occupation which would fall into that category.