References

[Deleted User]

So I've been fortunate enough to quit my 'zero-hours' job giving a week's notice as per the contract supplied which my employer deems rather unfair of me. (Totally confused)

My problem starts with my new employer who are the sort of old fashioned values, wishing to take two references (one being a character absolutely fine) and the other an employment reference which I do notice heads as previous employer rather then current. ((might be a way round it)) I'm worried it looks unprofessional to start telling new employer of my problems departing current job and to be frank I'm embarrassed to be in this situation when there was a clear written contract. But I end up looking bad.
Or I could just pled ignorance note my managers name, supply the email address they themselves never use?
I also have another problem in that my departmental line manager in current place is actually leaving themselves and as I feel I don't have a terribly good relationship beyond this person and I've had two GM's in my time alone there, I have nobody else's name I can confidently put down or with permission for my current position.

When I handed my notice in writing yesterday, reference was far from being discussed as I got driven into confrontation and the attitude of the General Manager was why hadn't I spoken to my line manager or couldn't any of this wait - (when LM is currently on annual leave and our shifts don't meet until much later next week!)(and secondly knowing references may well be requested and I have a start date with new employer agreed which allowed me to give old employer their notice per the supplied contract!) which old employer is now trying to move goalposts with.

As an aside, if you issue someone with their contract, would an un-signed copy not still be placed in their personnel file even if the 'employee' never signed? How can you not really know what sort of contract you ever supplied someone.

Rant over, hopefully it's mountains out of molehills. Really hoping someone has been in the situation of trying to get reference when there is a notice dispute going on or in the event the manager also is leaving.

Undervalued

If it is "zero hour" then notice is meaningless. You are not obliged to accept any work nor are they obliged to offer any!

A contract does not have to be signed (or even in writing) to be valid. Obviously if it is not it can be harder to prove what was agreed.

In any case, an employment "contract" is far more than simply a piece of paper with the work contract on it.

Except in certain regulated industries there is no obligation for your employer to provide a reference. So ask nicely, don't demand!

I suspect "current employer" and "past employer" in this context is semantics. They must mean one and the same thing depending on whether you have left or were still employed when the new (potential) employer asks.

getmore4less

You don't quit till you have unconditional offer ie. references have been taken and are acceptable.

Zero hours contract you don't have to give any notice you just turn down any offer of work.

Undervalued

getmore4less wrote: »

You don't quit till you have unconditional offer ie. references have been taken and are acceptable.

Yes, although with a Zero hour contract there is no guarantee of work so it is a bit less relevant than with a "proper" job of many years standing.

getmore4less

Undervalued wrote: »

Yes, although with a Zero hour contract there is no guarantee of work so it is a bit less relevant than with a "proper" job of many years standing.

Total bonkers on a zero hours to even consider giving notice.
You just become unavailable after securing a new position that clashes with the hours offered by the zero hours employment.

Davy_Jones_II

This post makes as little sense as most of yours OP.

You give the contact details of your manager in the job that you are in the process of leaving, the right ones, I.e. an email that they use.

And for goodness sake, learn to stop having arguments in every job, it is such a bad idea, but something that you keep doing.

TELLIT01

Given the number of jobs you seem to have had, surely it can't be too difficult to find a former employer who will give a reference.

Dox

Deleted%20User wrote: »

Rant over, hopefully it's mountains out of molehills. Really hoping someone has been in the situation of trying to get reference when there is a notice dispute going on or in the event the manager also is leaving.

Quite. So don't. Just give the relevant contact information and let your new employer worry about the next step.

[Deleted User]

Thanks. My line Manager came through and started texting anyway after learning of the news, whilst I was on shift earlier so seems on way to sorted.

[Deleted User]

getmore4less wrote: »

You don't quit till you have unconditional offer ie. references have been taken and are acceptable.

Zero hours contract you don't have to give any notice you just turn down any offer of work.

Oh righty.

Just over 4 weeks till I saw sight of a contract and had it confirmed I was on an alleged zero-hours so I don't think your gibberish makes a jolt of difference.

I start a week Monday and the employer asked for no one to apply with more than 2 weeks notice to be served.

[Deleted User]

Undervalued wrote: »

If it is "zero hour" then notice is meaningless. You are not obliged to accept any work nor are they obliged to offer any!

A contract does not have to be signed (or even in writing) to be valid. Obviously if it is not it can be harder to prove what was agreed.

In any case, an employment "contract" is far more than simply a piece of paper with the work contract on it.

But clearly they have you through fear to a degree, 'if I turn down work this week, what happens next.'

The "hourly paid contract" which was the only thing I could refuse to sign in disagreement to being zero-hours, which does mention about a probation period of 6 months, (as my Dad said what the hell) whilst it references zero hours page 3 of 6 oh and that electronic staff handbook I had to pinch after being made to sign I'd seen it when I hadn't , day 1 after the unpaid trial shift. I really realised I was being taken for a ride when the latest newcomer said they refused zero-hours and got 37.5 hrs but sadly I attended job interview on a Tuesday, was hired on Saturday and started paid work on Monday to stuggle to believe the recruitment woo's.

I did see they can deduct pension credits which if I'm being honest sounds more worrying then not getting a reference after having to deal with an intimidating brick s!#t house of a general manager.