Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊

Register Log in

[Help] Job references



D

DavidRyder

Well-known member
Jul 23, 2013
2,885
Hi NSCers,

My wife is looking for a new job. One reason being that her manager can't manage, he's just not up to the role, and the frustration that this causes with my wife has led to tensions in their relationship. This is not the first time it's happened with one of his staff. A lady left, but the reference he gave wasn't good. She was by all accounts good at her job, but it was a last chance for him to stick the knife in and try and cause problems.

So if my wife gets to the stage of needing a reference from him, she's worried. I said to ask for a reference from another colleague who she gets on with. Is there some legality around refs whereby you can't say anything bad, ie, 'she's got an attitude' (which she hasn't, she's just trying to do her job with a pranny as a manager)?

Any advice gladly received, thanks!
 




Goldstone1976

Goldstone1976

We Got Calde in!!
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patron
Apr 30, 2013
13,782
Herts
Employers can be sued if they provide erroneous references. In order to avoid even the cost of successfully defending a suit, many employers now give only very short factual references - for example “we can confirm that X was employed by us from Y date to Z date. Yours sincerely...”.

How large is your wife’s employer?

Be careful about asking a person who isn’t her line manager for a reference - many new employers will smell a rat “hmm... I wonder why she hasn’t used her boss as a reference...”
 


dazzer6666

dazzer6666

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Mar 27, 2013
52,369
Burgess Hill
Probably best to avoid asking for one if she can (presumably she'll explain why she's leaving the job etc so any potential new employer may take that into account) if there is a risk of him being awkward, but if she has to there are some measures she can take including making sure she gives permission, getting copied in on the reference etc. Can she get references from elsewhere ?

Re saying anything bad, yes he would need to be very careful - if he provides untrue and potentially damaging information she'd be able to sue him. Could she get a reference from him before she actually leaves (may be prepared to write a letter to 'to whom it may concern'?

Most references now that I see (and we provide) are purely factual - they state that someone was with a company for x years doing such-and-such a job. The only difference is where someone was sacked, or resigned during a disciplinary investigation then this would be explicitly stated.

There's some additional info here that might help

http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=5072
 


Lush

Lush

Mods' Pet
Jul 5, 2003
13,409
Wherever I lay my hat, that's my hat.
Did the lady who left still get the job she went for, despite the poor reference?

Any company worth their salt knows that there's usually a reason for people leaving, so she shouldn't worry too much.

Unless the comments in the reference back up any concerns they have after the interview.
 


D

DavidRyder

Well-known member
Jul 23, 2013
2,885
Goldstone1976 said:
Employers can be sued if they provide erroneous references. In order to avoid even the cost of successfully defending a suit, many employers now give only very short factual references - for example “we can confirm that X was employed by us from Y date to Z date. Yours sincerely...”.

How large is your wife’s employer?

Be careful about asking a person who isn’t her line manager for a reference - many new employers will smell a rat “hmm... I wonder why she hasn’t used her boss as a reference...”
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply - you're probably right about asking another colleague.

It's a large national company. The potential of being sued would hopefully be in his thinking, but TBH, he's not very savvy, and probably wouldn't even realise that he could be sued!
 




T

timbha

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
9,889
Sussex
What will she say if at an interview she is asked the reason for leaving her current job? She needs to be careful that she doesn’t say anything that might go against her
 


D

DavidRyder

Well-known member
Jul 23, 2013
2,885
dazzer6666 said:
Probably best to avoid asking for one if she can (presumably she'll explain why she's leaving the job etc so any potential new employer may take that into account) if there is a risk of him being awkward, but if she has to there are some measures she can take including making sure she gives permission, getting copied in on the reference etc. Can she get references from elsewhere ?

Re saying anything bad, yes he would need to be very careful - if he provides untrue and potentially damaging information she'd be able to sue him. Could she get a reference from him before she actually leaves (may be prepared to write a letter to 'to whom it may concern'?

Most references now that I see (and we provide) are purely factual - they state that someone was with a company for x years doing such-and-such a job. The only difference is where someone was sacked, or resigned during a disciplinary investigation then this would be explicitly stated.

There's some additional info here that might help

http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=5072
Click to expand...

Thanks for that info - I hadn't realised she could be copied in on the reference, so that's something to consider.

Yes, she has other people from previous jobs that can give her good refs, which is helpful.
 


M

Munkfish

Well-known member
May 1, 2006
11,871
Goldstone1976 said:
Employers can be sued if they provide erroneous references. In order to avoid even the cost of successfully defending a suit, many employers now give only very short factual references - for example “we can confirm that X was employed by us from Y date to Z date. Yours sincerely...”.

How large is your wife’s employer?

Be careful about asking a person who isn’t her line manager for a reference - many new employers will smell a rat “hmm... I wonder why she hasn’t used her boss as a reference...”
Click to expand...

Always put HR Down as a reference, thats how most Larger companies work.

If its a one man band, there isnt much you can do on that front of course.
 




D

DavidRyder

Well-known member
Jul 23, 2013
2,885
Lush said:
Did the lady who left still get the job she went for, despite the poor reference?

Any company worth their salt knows that there's usually a reason for people leaving, so she shouldn't worry too much.

Unless the comments in the reference back up any concerns they have after the interview.
Click to expand...

Cheers for the reply - I'm not sure if the other lady actually got that job, but the ref must have been fed back to her by the potential employer.
 


D

DavidRyder

Well-known member
Jul 23, 2013
2,885
timbha said:
What will she say if at an interview she is asked the reason for leaving her current job? She needs to be careful that she doesn’t say anything that might go against her
Click to expand...

It's a mixture of wanting to go the next step up in the role, also the fact that her manager is keeping her on dead end projects and giving the interesting stuff to colleagues. And the manager himself, the way he has been acting just causes a stressful environment. I don't expect she'd mention her boss in an interview though.
 






You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Albion and Premier League latest from Sky Sports


Top
Link Here