Employment References

[bathgatebuyer]

Hi everyone. Glad to see the Bear Garden back!

After 15 months of getting up at 5am - home for 8 pm, spending 6 hours a day commuting for a job I don't particularly enjoy, I've been offered something 20 mins bike ride from home, more money, better conditions, etc.............brilliant , eh?

Only problem is that I'm convinced this is all too good to be true! I've been told that they will look for 5 years worth of references which involves 4 employers (hey, don't blame me, I was made redundant in 2003 and got by doing whatever was going!). The company I was made redundant from in 2003 has totally changed with no staff remaining (only Directors based in London and I hardly thing they'll be bothered to do a reference for me), I then did temp work for 9 month working for someone I hated (who has since left the company luckily and I have asked the company who have offered me the job to contact HR direct as there's no one else really to provide a reference).............

Am I worrying needlessly? Have I got so stuck in a rut that pessimism even ruins brilliant news like a new job? Or could some references glitch ruin this offer for me?

Interested to hear thoughts!!!!

[Goldlady]

Employers are liable for anything they say in a reference these days and have to be extremely careful or they will be hauled off to a tribunal. You are entitled to know what has been said about you due to data protection. One of my clients was asked to give a reference for someone who was sacked for stealing and we were advised to give only what is called a 'factual reference' which simply confirms that the person worked there and the dates and very little else. Most big firms HR depts will only do that these days - I think you should be OK

[bathgatebuyer]

Hi - cheers for that! I know that my line manager has been asked to pass my reference to HR as only HR can do references in my company at present. For reasons I've put on here before, I've had argie bargies with HR in my present employ (i.e. they told me I would get a car if I went there, after I'd started they changed the car policy which meant that instead of having a nice wee car to drive to work in everyday, I have 6 hours on buses each day of the week - so quite an impact on my physically, emotionally and personally). About 3 months back, I had a panic attack in the office and had an ambulance called and as a consequence was signed off for a fortnight by my GP who said I had exhaustion (something which may not have happened had I not been spending 6 hours a day on buses!).
Anyhow, long story short and all that, 3 perfectly good references have been received by the company offering me a job, and it's only my present one that remains outstanding. I told my boss today I could be moving on soon (work will be getting frantic in the next few months and I felt guilty about leaving them in the thick of it) and he said we could negotiate a quick departure as he realises it's better for me if I leave soon, as well as the Project which will be running at 200% within a few months.

Hopefully HR just say, "She worked here...............with this job title............on a salary of....................bet ween these dates.........." and I can get back to working in the same city I sleep in without having the 6 county treck everyday.

[calm1]

I really hope it works out for you! 6 hours on a bus everyday - bloody hell - you should be given the job just for the fact you have done that - it shows true commitment!

Best of luck............

[Robertxc]

hopefully you'll be able to negotiate with your present employer for a proper reference. It's not really in anyone's interest for them to giv you a negative reference, and hopefully at worst all will do is give you a factual reference. Goldlady is absolutely right about references these days. I was speaking to an HR professional recently who told me that a lot of managers nowadays only give references over the telephone and won't put them in writing at all. apparently in America it's illegal to give a negative reference to a lot of companies simply refuse to give references at all if they don't have anything good to say about the person, which I suppose might be worse!

[bathgatebuyer]

Cheers everyone! I got my offer letter through today as well as all the info about their benefits package (woo hoo - 31 days off a year!!!), and I'm going to ring them on Monday ask if all the paperwork has been received ok, and then hand my notice in No more 5 am starts everyday, no more home for 8pm, no more pro-plus and red bull every day, and more importantly, sleep!

Yes, the travelling has been a nightmare. Totally unappreciated by my present employer, of course, who suggested my insistance upon travelling rather than moving was a sign of my lack of commitment to my job - rather than an illustration of just how committed I was!!!

Timing is perfect too - last week my boss told me that he didn't want me doing a postgrad in my free time (as it was would 'remove my focus from my work') and also to give up being a volunteer, again in my own time.

I really can't wait to get away from those controllers!!!!

[Rooster-UK]

Congratulations. Good luck in your new job. Hope everything works out well for you.

Regards, Rooster.

[Mr lex]

Yes, Good luck BGB.

and well done .

Lex

[Lula]

How dare they tell you what you can and cant do in your oh so little free time, you are far better off without them, good luck in the new career BGB XX

[sillygirl1]

I had a similar problem but references came from friends I had within the company I worked in for the last 10 years... I had assisted a project director in my own time and he wrote a reference for me, as did a friend who was Branch Secretary of the union. They asked for 'employers references' and as I had actually done work for these people it was accepted.

I believe that references should only be factual, ie this person worked here between x date and x date, and their salary was x.

Congratulations in getting out and hopefully things will be much better. I did a lot better financially and now am cutting my work to 4 days a week for health reasons for a few months and all I did was ask my direct line manager on Thursday and I have to sign the paperwork on Monday. In my old company it would have taken a lot of begging letters and an assessment from occupational health to get this achieved.

[bathgatebuyer]

Found out yesterday that the reference given by the monsters I work for was just a factual one (anything subjective in there and I'm after them!). Still no closer to actually having a firm offer which is so frustrating as everyone I work with knows that I've been offered something and it's openly spoken about in meetings and things.

Because of the time I was signed off in April (panic attack and exhaustion as a result of spending a year and a half working and travelling 70 hours a week) I've got to submit an occupation health questionnaire and probably attend a medical. Still, if OH ask, "Why were you exhausted?" the answer should be my saving grace," 140 mile commute every day by public transport along the worst road in Scotland, up at 5 am, home at 8pm, asleep on the sofa within 15 mins (usually fully clothed and with my dinner left on the coffee table waiting to be eaten - oh, I sound hellish like Waynetta Slob :o )

For a job that was originally advertised in April and which I was offered on the 1st August, it's starting to feel like it's never going to happen!

[calm1]

Blimey, hope the job is worth the wait! I can't believe how long this is all taking. What is the job - top secret 007 stuff or something?

[bathgatebuyer]

Darn! My cover is blown! I'm actually the replacement for Jason Bourne, and the 4th film in the series is the Bathgatebuyer (gie's a job) Ultimatum