how can i find out if a past employer is giving a bad reference?

Question

i know they aren't supposed to - but in reading some applications and when you sign them it gives them the right to treat past employers as a personal refernce. my most recent past employer says (we went to court with unemployment over this) that i abdandoned my job and i didn't - i was fired due to absense from a medical condition.

OTHER THAN CALLING THEM AND POSING AS A POTIENTAL EMPLOYER - what can i do to find out?

the main reason i'm asking - is b/c i can't get work. this has been going on since january and is getting harder on me and my family - both money-wise and as a family unit. mcdonald's even turned me down and it seems like the ones here hire anybody.

please only reply if you have the answer - no posting just for points.

Answer 1

Why don't you call, or have a friend call and ask.

Answer 2

If you were at your job a very short period of time, don't list them. If you are applying for something that doesn't really care about how much experience you have, like McDonald's only list employers that will give you a good reference. For gaps in employment you can put down "personal reasons" and leave it at that. (might be asked to elaborate during an interview but then you can say you were sick alot that year or out of town with a sick relative, etc).

It could be that your employer isnt giving you a bad reference, it could be a dry spell in your area as well where no one is hiring. Places like McDonald's might have looked at your application and thought you were "too experienced" (yes there is such a thing).

Usually the references aren't called til after you interview not before. So if you aren't getting any interviews its for other reasons besides the bad employer experience. If you are getting interviews but no call backs, then a bad employer might be to blame.

Answer 3

Well sorry not to give you a different answer, but the only way to figure this out is to pose as a potential employer (or have someone you know do it) and call them for a "reference check." Also, I think it's illegal (slander or something) for your past employer to lie about your reason for leaving or being fired. I'm sure you could take them to court on it. Good luck.

Answer 4

Is there anything you did even part time during your time with that employer so that you could just fill in that gap with something like "self-employed, part-time"?
The problem with calling or having others call for you is that employers often don't give a reference just at the spur of the moment. They'll often ask what company is calling and how they can get back in touch with you, expecting you to give them a number at a business.
I found, after I resigned from a job with an s. o. b. for a boss, that just telling my reasons for leaving was the best approach.

Answer 5

Is there anyway you could leave that particular job off your resume? If not, it's hard to find out because that information is in your file at the particular company (the results of their reference calls), so unless you have a friend who could access this information and that particular company actually made reference calls and wrote down the answers, it will probably be difficult.
Could it be something else that is preventing you from getting a job ? Something to think about - maybe revising your resume, broadening your search, etc. It took my husband several months to find a job when we re-located and we know his past references were saying good things (it helps when you are friends with your past employers).

Answer 6

You should have someone that you know and that can sound
like they are professional business HR directors call and ask
about your work references.
I once heard that there are companies where they will do a background or work record check for people in your situation. I do
not know what they are called .
If all else fails , you can contact your lawyer and get advice on how to proceed from here . Good Luck

Answer 7

I would ask one of the people that have not hired you, if the reason for your nonhire was the reference given by your past employer. The worst they could say is yes, and if so, then you'd know.

Answer 8

I would like to know also. I have a past employer who did the same thing! THAT WAS SO UNFAIR. The best thing that helped me through this, was to not "include" them on my application.

Answer 9

Unless you were with your past employer for over 2 years, I wouldn't even put them on my application.

Answer 10

You could try calling them, or having a friend call them, pretending to be a place of business and do a fake reference check on yourself to find out what they say! Good luck!

Answer 11

stop using them & see what happens.......then you'll know

or get a friend posing a an employer that wants to hire you
& have them call the past employer