Worried about reference from my old employer, help!

Guest101

So they can truthfully report that. In the future maintain some decorum surely?

Prothet_of_Doom

Mr.Generous wrote: »

get someone to contact them for a reference for you - a friend or family member that's thinking of taking you on. Happened to me years ago when I sacked someone for theft, I fell for it and told it straight!! Later found out it was one of his mates.

Some 15 years ago, I was managed out of a job, which I was not very good at, like a rabbit caught in the headlights there was nothing I could do, other than attend the disciplinary and plead my case with the union rep.
The union rep then negotiated that I could resign, if that did not impact my ability to get benefits. The Job centre staff told me that all they required was an explanation that I'd resigned in lieu of dismissal, and they would not have to sanction me. So union rep got company to agree that if HR were asked by Job centre, they'd confirm that I was likely to be sacked for failing to meet targets had I not resigned, but if any prospective employer asked, I'd resigned, had never had a day off sick and was always on time.

I got my brother in law to get his HR department to request a reference to make sure the agreement was kept.

Mind you as luck would have it, one of the other more senior managers had been managed out in a similar way about 6 months before, and when he got my CV on his desk from an agency, he was phoning me direct to offer me a job. :rotfl: Best job I ever had and the best manager too.

sangie595

Br0416 wrote: »

Basically they were looking to extend my probation period so I kicked off and got myself in trouble with my mouth. I did ask HR before I left and they advised me to resign and assured me it wouldn't effect future employment prospects but of course I have no way of proving that conversation took place.

And even if you did, you have no way of enforcing such an agreement. This is a "gentleman's agreement" and nothing more. And nobody should ever trust HR advice anyway - they are there to serve the employers best interests, not employees. If they are Darth Vadar, Luke is the trade union; and you are some little planet about to be smashed to smithereens!

I have no idea where people keep getting the idea that it's ok to tell posters that "most" employers just give basic references these days anyway. That isn't the case. Some employers do. A lot of others don't.

Whether this will come up in a reference is Russian roulette. It depends whether they stick to the agreement; it depends on who actually writes the reference (and whether they know or care about what was said to you); and it also depends on whether there are any follow up phone calls to a reference request or receipt (when just about anything could be said).

My advice would be to go with as much of the truth as possible. You and the job didn't suit each other and you knew that your probation period was unlikely to be successful, so you cut your losses and resigned because you wouldn't have been happy in the job even if you had scraped through. That is truthful, believable, and realistic. It shows you in a mature light, having realised that the job wasn't for you. Hopefully, potential employers will never need to know anything more than that, and at worst, your reference would reflect the same thing. If anything else comes to light, it isn't inconsistent with what you have already said, but it gives you the opportunity to admit that you were upset and disappointed and acted out of character.

Br0416

I was going to be honest with my new potential employer but being honest is what always seems to land me in hot water. It was being direct and honest that got me in trouble at my old job. Maybe I need to stop being so honest

Br0416

I'll just see what happens and deal with it accordingly. Thanks for the helpful and in some cases not so helpful comments

Guest101

It's about maintaining a professional attitude. If your employer isn't satisfied that you've passed probationary period, that's up to them.

You can still respectfully disagree. By direct and honest, do you mean you got the hump and told them where to go?

sangie595

Br0416 wrote: »

I was going to be honest with my new potential employer but being honest is what always seems to land me in hot water. It was being direct and honest that got me in trouble at my old job. Maybe I need to stop being so honest

It depends what your definition of being honest is. It may be honest to tell someone they are a ******* ****** but it definitely isn't sensible!

DKLS

Guest101 wrote: »

"Unfortunetly BR0416 left the organisation before a date could be set for him to attend a disciplinary meeting, he/she resigned the same day we notified him/her of the process"

Or more likely:

"I can confirm that BR0416 worked for xxx Company in the role of xxxxxxxxxx, they commenced work on x date and finished on x date."

Guest101

DKLS wrote: »

Or more likely:

"I can confirm that BR0416 worked for xxx Company in the role of xxxxxxxxxx, they commenced work on x date and finished on x date."

Absolutely. in many cases that is all that a company will confirm.


I just meant that it's possible to get a bad, but truthful, reference

DKLS

Guest101 wrote: »

Absolutely. in many cases that is all that a company will confirm.


I just meant that it's possible to get a bad, but truthful, reference

Totally agree, there is a misconception that companies cannot give bad references, they can they just need to be truthful.