Civil Service giving references

doodlechops

Hello,
This is my first post and I hope someone will be able to help.
I worked for a Govt dept for nearly 30 years. Does anyone know what kind of information is contained in an employment reference from this job that may be requested by a new employer?
I really don't want to contact my previous line manager.
Thanks in advance

Darksparkle

I've done a few and the new employer usually asked for different things.

BigAunty

Is it a requirement to give the line manager details directly as part of a civil service reference or merely just the HR dpeartment?

Is a personalised reference provided by the Civil Service, based on information on the last performance appraisal, or just a bland generic 'they worked here from x to x time with x job title'?

TELLIT01

From my understanding, the basic reference from the Civil Service simply states that nnnnn has been employed for x years as yyyyyyy.

anmarj

Your line manager can only give a personal reference, as I have had this recently.

BigAunty

So is it the case that if you direct an employer to contact the Civil Service HR, they will receive a basic reference but if you direct them to the current line manager, the employer will receive a personal, more detailed one?

sangie595

Is there something you don't want finding out?

Polarbeary

From experience with one Department - managers are not allowed to give employee references and references are a basic HR reference..."this person worked here from this date to this date as an xxx. We know of know reason why you shouldn't employ them."

MacMickster

I would be interested if anyone can give a definitive answer about this. A close friend of Mrs M worked for a large civil service department for over 25 years. A couple of years ago she was transferred into a job that she was unsuitable for, had a long sickness absence due to stress, was given a poor performance marking, then eventually another long sickness absence with depression.

She left the civil service on ill-health retirement last month, but now feels unable to apply for a new job as she considers that she will receive a reference saying that her performance was unsatisfactory and she had half of the last 2 years off work sick. She feels that her previous 23 years of excellent service counts for nothing.

If that is not the case and the civil service will only confirm her dates of employment then she would be in a far stronger position if she were to apply for a new job.

TBagpuss

MacMickster wrote: »

I would be interested if anyone can give a definitive answer about this. A close friend of Mrs M worked for a large civil service department for over 25 years. A couple of years ago she was transferred into a job that she was unsuitable for, had a long sickness absence due to stress, was given a poor performance marking, then eventually another long sickness absence with depression.

She left the civil service on ill-health retirement last month, but now feels unable to apply for a new job as she considers that she will receive a reference saying that her performance was unsatisfactory and she had half of the last 2 years off work sick. She feels that her previous 23 years of excellent service counts for nothing.

If that is not the case and the civil service will only confirm her dates of employment then she would be in a far stronger position if she were to apply for a new job.

she has nothing to lose by applying for new jobs and can address the reasons for leaving in her CV or covering letter or at interview.

OP - is there an employees handbook you can check?

MacMickster

TBagpuss wrote: »

she has nothing to lose by applying for new jobs and can address the reasons for leaving in her CV or covering letter or at interview.

I think that her concern is that she will disadvantage herself if she unnecessarily discloses these facts to employers that she actually wants to work for and possibly burn her bridges being unable to apply again for future vacancies with them.

She is talking about applying for a McJob or similar, which she really doesn't want in her 50s, but considers that 6 months in such an employment will gain her a new last employer's reference and she can then apply for jobs that she actually wants.