Now I really AM tempted to get an attorney - I am so upset!

[HokeyReligions]

I've been interviewing for a decent position. Thought I had it all sewed it up. They wanted references. I have letters of reference and a bunch of people that they can call. I even gave them my last performance appraisal from my last full-time job (good review ). Well, they called that last employer. Even more people are gone -- including those who gave me my review. I do have letters from them, but they have moved on and I do not have new contact information.

 

There was one girl I did not get along with -- just nothing in common, you know? She was always jumping to bad conclusions and the day I left she went around telling people that out of spite I canceled some hotel reservations for the CEO & President and didn't tell them. Even if I had been so inclined, I didn't have time to do that---or access to the information. THAT is something she would do, so she told people I had done it.

 

I did not. I can tell you exactly what happened. I was helping out with the secretarial work for a few weeks (our sec'y was out and they were too cheap to bring in a temp) and I made hotel reservations. Well, I got the email with the confirmation number on it. The hotel had the wrong nights - I had to change the reservations. The way hotels changes reservations is to cancel the original one and create a new one -- with a new confirmation number. I gave that to the CEO & President when I got the new email with the new confirmation number. When they got to the hotel they gave them the OLD email and OLD confirmation number, so uh, yeah! THAT reservation was canceled.

 

Anyway, I tried to explain it as diplomatically and nicely as I could to the company I interviewed with, but they said that have some concerns after talking to her. I asked about my other references and she said those were wonderful. What's that old saying? "One Awe Sh1it wipes away a thousand Attaboy's" I guess I can't use that company as a reference any more -- not that it will stop prospective employers from calling. My evaluation was good, but this may have just lost me a job & I didn't report TO her! I'm trying to make the new company understand that she was not my supervisor or team leader---just another member of the staff, and we didn't really have any cross-over work other than filling in for whatever admin person was out.

 

I wonder about other jobs I've interviewed for? At least this one gave me some feedback and let me know what was going on! When I left that job I had a friend pose as a prospective employer and call my references just to see what I would get -- they were fine then, but this woman wasn't answering the phone at the time.

 

 

I have reached a whole new level of pissed off -- deeper than anything Dante could imagine or could find a color representation . I checked with some employment laws in my area and there really isn't anything I can do that won't reflect poorly on me in some way.

 

I called the new President of the company and told him what happened and he said "she would be reprimanded for speaking out of turn" OMG! I thought I had great references and this one bitch jumps up. I am not really a violent person -- talk the talk sometimes, but don't walk the walk if you know what I mean, but I'm sorely tempted to take a walk down that path with her.

 

I'm trying to get other contact information for the people who actually knew and worked with me so I can use that for my references. I really want to use the performance appraisal because it's a good one, but I may have to write them off and stick with my other references. I'll never be comfortable though because when I was doing HR work, I didn't just contact the references on the list, I had to contact previous employers for verification and I always asked referential questions too. Part of being thorough.

 

I am just so upset right now!!! PLUS! They also called my current boss and I know he gave me a good reference, but now he realizes that I'm actively looking (he was in denial before and was sure I would remain to the bitter end here) and now he's treating me a bit weird. I knew they were going to call him today and I brought in two dozen filled donuts today to 'soften the blow'.

[tattoomytoe]

forgive my ignorance.... but i thought that only HR or manager could give references. and i also thought they were only allowed to say, yes Billy worked here, and other sterile information.

[HokeyReligions]

Originally posted by tattoomytoe

forgive my ignorance.... but i thought that only HR or manager could give references. and i also thought they were only allowed to say, yes Billy worked here, and other sterile information.

 

Thank you! that's why I'm so mad---she had no business saying what she said, except that so many people have left now that she does all the HR work (and AP, and secretarial, and marketing) and thinks she should be the one talking to everyone. It's a tiny company now (lost 50% of their workforce over the last couple of years) so there are maybe 20 people in the whole company -- in two offices!

 

 

Technically, the only info they can give are the dates of employment, reason for termination, and eligibility for rehire. However, that's not really a reference, only a verification. All of my other references will tell them how wonderful I am/was! That I performed beyond expectations, took initiative, proactive, did not miss work, temperament, plays well with others, dependability, and other positive things, along with all the dry stuff. I've been in a position to give the dry details when giving a reference, and to give a glowing recommendation. I never give salary information though and one thing that might have caught this person up in her own lie is that the letter of reference I gave to the new company stated my salary. It was written by the bitche's boss (who is gone now). SHE told them I made substantially less! So she got caught in a lie -- hopefully that will help them to reconsider me and realize that this other person has issues.

[brashgal]

Hoping a big old Karma bird takes a crap on her head. What sends people on these power trips anyway? Don't they realize they are screwing with other people's lives?