Comments | team_unemployed: Need your advice, guys

nyxalinth in team_unemployed

Need your advice, guys

Jun 21, 2011 13:26

The last place where I worked is being jerky and uncooperative when it comes to giving a reference to a potential employer. I know damned well I started in June 2009, but they told the potential employer another date. The potential employer is refusing to tell me the date they were told by the previous employer. the previous employer is refusing ( Read more... )

job hunting

Comments 12

vichan June 23 2011, 08:24:56 UTC

If it's privately owned, you may have to try city council (specifically, whoever the councilperson is that's in charge of the district the business is located in). It's kinda illegal for them to be doing that, and the only reason (outside of personal reasons) for them to be pulling that crap is if they weren't reporting you for tax purposes.

Apologies if this makes no sense - I am sleep deprived.

nyxalinth June 23 2011, 15:58:36 UTC

aye. My partner even suggested the same thing about the tax purposes. That would really be awful, because it's the local ballet company in my city and I'd hate to see them get dragged through the mud if something happened.

wigglewhiz June 23 2011, 08:59:58 UTC

Wow - what shitty conduct.

Is there any other way you can prove the dates of your employment? I.e. do you have payslips? Or (I don't know what country you're in) can the IRD do you any kind of form that shows from your personal tax record the periods that you were employed? I suppose you don't necessarily want prospective employers to see your previous salary, but... it might at least provide you with some other avenues?

Is there anyone else you can speak to at the ballet? Can you go above your supervisor's head? Or straight to an HR department?

I'd stay away from companies that provide references, if I were you - sound unethical. Or is this common practise elsewhere that I just don't know about?

skittlebox June 23 2011, 13:48:53 UTC

I came here to suggest payslips as well. Or some kind of contract/workplace agreement you signed when starting at the other company.

nyxalinth June 23 2011, 15:57:22 UTC

No workplace agreement--they dodn't do those there. and no payslips. But thanks.

nyxalinth June 23 2011, 15:56:52 UTC

I have no payslips--they're long gone unfortunately. I'm in the US, but my tax form doesn't show when I started, only that I was there in 2009.

My partner lives in New Zealand, and she did suggest contacting IRD here--or as we call it, the IRS.

the man who is refusing to give the info is the general manager--he IS the boss. My supervisor, I believe, has been told he can't give the information.

chasethecat June 23 2011, 21:46:29 UTC

This wouldn't help with the managers being jerks, but you could get one of your friends to call and pretend to be asking for your reference, to find out what date they're giving potential employers.

nyxalinth June 23 2011, 22:54:21 UTC

Someone on monster.com also suggested this, and I think I might go for it. Thanks1

chordoflife June 30 2011, 04:07:01 UTC

I've seen people do this.. it might be worth a try.

For what it's worth.. I had a great relationship with my last job
( In Africa) and yet the Gov't org that sponsored me and my hosting org have yet to give me a letter of recommendation.
I don't want to fake one, but I just may have to.

gradeafan June 24 2011, 15:14:10 UTC

This. If there is someone new they likely won't even know it's you on the phone. Call em up and say you are with ***mumble-mumble-name-of-company* and checking the reference of an applicant.

In the event you get another interview, I'd let them know as well that the company has had a change in personnel since you left and it's come to your attention that they are giving out wrong info. Helps if you have some document to proove it, but I expect some would not be surprised of clerical errors.

It is a bit more of a concern if you believe they are falsifying employment documents that are reported to the taxing authorities. It could limit your ability to collect unemployment if you qualify and will certainly affect your social security benefits if they have under-reported you.

f

jessiegirl_ca June 24 2011, 02:26:31 UTC

What about a bank statement, you may be able to get the name of the account the check was drawn on or deposited from. My payroll checks have always come up with the company's name, even going back a couple years.

nyxalinth June 24 2011, 03:16:16 UTC

good idea, but unfortunately I was avoding banks because I always ended up going overdrawn

I chalk this up to lesson learned. If I cant get the a-hole to respond, I will just have to have a gap in my job history