Sacked for looking for a new job?

ITZ

Hello, I've been employed somewhere for the past few months. Not exactly happy there, thought there would be more to it.
Anyway, I applied for so many jobs before starting, that alot of them have now started to get in touch. I've attended 2 interviews in the last 2 weeks. I am too honest, and they were great opportunities with extra pay/training and I didnt want to miss out, so I let work know why. I explained I applied before I started, and they were fine about it and let me take time off.

But I know how it looks, so can they get rid of me because they think I'm not committed and that its probably only a matter of time before I ask for another interview. It's not the end of the world if they do, as I could apply for more jobs and take interviews whenever I want, but it would depend if I got a bad reference.

elsien

They can get rid of you for pretty much any reason in the first two years anyway.
References have to be factually correct, so it depends on what you feel would constitute a bad reference?

pinkduvetdiva

In the first 2 years, they can get rid of you for any reason, as long as it's not for the automatically unfair reasons listed here: https://www.gov.uk/dismiss-staff/unfair-dismissals

xapprenticex

okay for anybody else who comes to read this, bear in mind, the OP now knows about the 2 year rule.

directdebiter

If you say you are attending interviews - and fair play for being honest - not sure why you question why your employer is concerned you are not committed. Clearly you are not. The reference should only confirm dates and not be a bad one. But the fact you haven't lasted at a job doesnt look good - depending on the rest of the CV whether this can be explained. But lots of short term jobs is worse that a bad reference.

[Deleted User]

If you were an employer, would you be keen on somebody who you knew wanted out as soon as possible?

[Deleted User]

directdebiter wrote: »

If you say you are attending interviews - and fair play for being honest - not sure why you question why your employer is concerned you are not committed. Clearly you are not. The reference should only confirm dates and not be a bad one. But the fact you haven't lasted at a job doesnt look good - depending on the rest of the CV whether this can be explained. But lots of short term jobs is worse that a bad reference.

Actually as one of them 'job hoppers' who today turned down the offer of a sick note before carrying onto work today, I find this in poor taste.

#just saying. In agony for it now but I'll never let anyone say I didn't care. Of course I have tomorrow off for working today so it benefits two parties I'm sure.

Things don't have to work out in many aspects of life. Bravo to the OP for recognising that and being proactive in trying to make the change don't you reckon, knowing their own thoughts, who really wants to continue being miserable.

sangie595

Deleted%20User wrote: »

Actually as one of them 'job hoppers' who today turned down the offer of a sick note before carrying onto work today, I find this in poor taste.

#just saying. In agony for it now but I'll never let anyone say I didn't care. Of course I have tomorrow off for working today so it benefits two parties I'm sure.

Things don't have to work out in many aspects of life. Bravo to the OP for recognising that and being proactive in trying to make the change don't you reckon, knowing their own thoughts, who really wants to continue being miserable.

I'm sorry, but what does the fact that you have a sick note have to do with job-hopping?

OP, the bottom line is that the employer doesn't have to give any reason IF they want to let you go. You are not committed to them, which is fair enough - but you can't then complain if they aren't committed to you. That is the nature of employment - you don't have to stay, they don't have to keep you. It's a job, not a marriage. If you kept giving them excuses about being off sick, then they'd have pretty good grounds to let you go. In the end employers want people who will be in work. But you haven't lied. You told the truth. What they do with that truth is something we can't predict and you can't control. But for what it is worth, I think that you did the right thing being honest.

PossiblyOverworked

They can get rid of you for any reason (apart from things like discrimination which it doesn't sound like it's the case - "looking for a new job" isn't one of the protected characteristics!) but what feeling do you have so far from their accepting your requests for time off for the interviews you had already? Encouraging, annoyed or what?

If it's a fairly dead end job (I'm sort of inferring from you saying you "thought there would be more to it") perhaps your line manager knows the deal and is tacitly encouraging you? Only you will know that from their demeanour but it's possible and I've been in the position of both being the "job-applier" and the "supervisor" (on different occasions) about that! (I've been taclty encouraged to look around, and encouraged someone else. Although encouraging someone else to leave was also self-serving as he wasn't the right fit for numerous (legal) reasons for my team, but I wouldn't have actually fired him!)

eamon

A similar thing happened to me years ago. I also was honest with my new employers and they were fine. Though I did get made redundant a few months later but thats a different story.

ITZ

Hello, thanks for the replies. I did end up finding a new job. I worked all of last week and on the Wednesday she told me I wouldnt be needed this week as they're on holiday... so not exactly worked out well.