Worried about reference from my old employer, help!

Br0416

Well I'll just wait and see like I say. I'm young, I made a mistake and handled the situation poorly but I've learned from it and it's not fair that it could destroy my career

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

DKLS wrote: »

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

They can but in my experience, they don't. At least, HR departments don't. Smaller employers without HR departments, it's a lottery.

HR departments however have no interest at all in stopping bad employees being picked up by their competitors.

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

sangie595 wrote: »

And nobody should ever trust HR advice anyway - they are there to serve the employers best interests, not employees.

Well that's the thing. Going out of their way to write long explanations about a poor employee is never in the company's interests, so they don't do it.

If however they are asked direct questions (eg "Was the employee dismissed/Did the employee face any formal disciplinary action"); then answering that truthfully and simply IS in the employer's best interest.

Therefore it's only if you have done something likely to be picked up in the case that the reference request is in the form of these direct questions that you need to worry. If there's nothing on file, I still maintain you have virtually nothing to worry about when getting a reference from an HR department. If your timekeeping was poor, for example, the HR department won't even know about it unless there's been a formal action against you.

Br0416

Well I wasn't dismissed and there was no formal disciplinary. I just knew it was on the cards which I why I went. For all I know though they could have still recorded their intentions after I left which is what worries me

Br0416

But I wouldn't have thought they'd be allowed to do that and mention it in a reference without having a formal meeting with me to inform me of their intentions and give me chance to defend myself.

Guest101

Br0416 wrote: »

But I wouldn't have thought they'd be allowed to do that and mention it in a reference without having a formal meeting with me to inform me of their intentions and give me chance to defend myself.

What do you mean allowed?


A reference is a truthful (and factual) opinion.


Whatever you say in a disciplinary, whilst noted down is irrelevant anyway.

bod1467

ScorpiondeRooftrouser wrote: »

If however they are asked direct questions (eg "Was the employee dismissed/Did the employee face any formal disciplinary action"); then answering that truthfully and simply IS in the employer's best interest.

If you are expressing this in terms of a reference ... it probably won't happen. A former employer is under no compulsion whatsoever to answer any direct questions posed by someone's prospective new employer.

Br0416

What I mean is how would they be allowed to mention something to paint me in a negative light which was never "managed" or discussed with me when I was employed. If they weren't happy with something and were considering disciplinary action then they have to discuss it with the employee and give them a chance to defend themselves before slandering them on a reference. Surely?

Guest101

Br0416 wrote: »

What I mean is how would they be allowed to mention something to paint me in a negative light which was never "managed" or discussed with me when I was employed. If they weren't happy with something and were considering disciplinary action then they have to discuss it with the employee and give them a chance to defend themselves before slandering them on a reference. Surely?

The truth cannot be slander, ever.


Which is the whole point, and someone clever can word whatever they want to be truthful and negative.

Br0416

But as you said, it has to be truthful and factual. If it's not recorded anywhere and there's no evidence or proof then it's not factual and surely can't be mentioned