Informal reference cost me amazing job offer

catflap11

I encountered exactly the same situation with the exception that references had not yet been requested. It transpired that the new Company knew someone I had used to work with (not a company I was using as a referee) and they were less than complimentary about me. I had taken the former employer to a tribunal and I had won and they obviously had issues with me.

It was never officially confirmed that the negative feedback came from this person but there was no other issues in my previous employment record that would have caused the rejection. At the time I was livid, but after thinking about the situation in more detail, I realised I had had a lucky escape from joining a company that operated like this. Anyway Karma has a funny way of settling things as the chap from my old firm who had badmouthed me was sacked shortly afterwards and I ended up working for a much nicer company! put it down to experience and don't let it fester.

FBaby

How do you know that they didn't contact the HR department rather than any previous manager, and didn't ask the direct question 'have they ever been disciplined or received a warning in the last 2 years'. HR therefore answered factually. For all you know, the new company have a policy that they withdraw any offer to potential employees with a record of warnings.

If that is the case, it is extremely unfortunate for you, but you can't blame the person, let alone take them to court over it.

Undervalued

FBaby wrote: »

How do you know that they didn't contact the HR department rather than any previous manager, and didn't ask the direct question 'have they ever been disciplined or received a warning in the last 2 years'. HR therefore answered factually. For all you know, the new company have a policy that they withdraw any offer to potential employees with a record of warnings.

If that is the case, it is extremely unfortunate for you, but you can't blame the person, let alone take them to court over it.

Quite.

So far in this thread I haven't seen any evidence that anything improper has happened.

The OP clearly has a suspicion that a former colleague has "dished the dirt" but even if that is the case there is no proof they have said anything untrue or deliberately misleading.

It is also possible to damm with feint praise!

Suejane81

Hello

It is. It illegal if it's factual. Your precious employer ca. Inform you potential employer of absence, any disciplinary action, misconduct etc as long as it's not false.

Pound

This stuff goes on all the time, normally you would just be told your application was "unsuccessful".

Bogalot

Suejane81 wrote: »

Hello

It is. It illegal if it's factual. Your precious employer ca. Inform you potential employer of absence, any disciplinary action, misconduct etc as long as it's not false.

Pound wrote: »

This stuff goes on all the time, normally you would just be told your application was "unsuccessful".

This thread is ten months old.