What should I state as my reason for leaving my last job on an application?

Question

I was fired by my employer of almost 12 years for filing a Workers Compensation Claim. This is illegal in my state and there is a legal action pending. I have been out of work a year but now that I am all healed up and ready to work I am at a loss as to what I should state as my reason for leaving. I don't really like putting the words "fired", "terminated", or "let go" on my application even if it was illegal to fire me. Also I don't want to make the impression that I am accident prone or a trouble maker or worse, that I was trying to get rich by getting hurt. I want to be honest especially since I know prospective employers are apt to contact my previous employer. A bad reference from this employer already cost me a possible job with the USPS. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. The sooner I get back to work the better!
Thanks

Answer 1

When stating information of this type, you need to convey to the possible new employer that you had no fault in leaving your past job.

Reason for leaving:
After 12 years of faithful service I was released because of an on the job injury.

Or

Reason for leaving:
After 12 years of faithful service, last employer released me after being injured by no fault of my own.

There needs to be no mention of a pending lawsuit. They just asked WHY you left, NOT if you have a grievance against your old employer. They will find out anyway. What you stated is the truth and shows the NEW company that you spent 12 years with that company with no problems.

Answer 2

Tell the truth. Tell them it was a workers compensation issue, or that because of an injury they decided to let you go because they didn't want to wait until you had healed. In part, this is true. I would seek assistance as to how the prospective company does handle, or view, those who have filed against workers compensation. So far as a bad reference goes, that is also illegal. The best that an employer can do is to say that you did work there and for how long. Beyond that makes them liable for lible. If your accident was caused by faulty equipment, or a bad decision on their part, like your boss told you to climb up on something knowing full well that you could fall, then it is their fault. I suggest that you also consider filing actions against them for violating laws that pertain to what they can, and can not say about a previous employee. A good place ,beside whom you are dealing with now for the legal action, would be the state attorney general. One point, did you have ANY kind of training that covered the work you were doing and any kind of safety rules that would pertain to it. If you did, then they may have recourse to say that you had been trained as to what was safe, and ignored company policy such that the accident was your fault. The opposite side of that, if you have co-workers ready to stand up and say, yes we had this training, but we all know and testify that the company ignores the training and makes us do what is unsafe anyway, or lose our job, then you have a possible defense.

Answer 3

If a prospective employer contacts you former employer for a reference, the only thing the former employer can legally give to them is the date of your employment and your separation: by law they cannot comment on your departure from the company.

You might have your attorney call the HR office of your former employer and ask for your references just to see what they are saying because if they say anything other than the dates you were employed by them: they are in a lot of trouble.

Answer 4

You can put down "workplace injury". If they want to ask, they will. Or when you are answering questions in your interview you can work the reason into it and put a positive spin on it all. "Altho I loved my job at XYZ Company, I was injured and could not provide the 110 % I was used to giving at that job. I went on Workers Comp while I recovered, but the company and I have since decided to part ways". They do not need to know about the lawsuit. That should suffice. I have put down illness as my reason for separation from companies and given that as a reason in my interviews. All the employers I ended up working for told me that they respected that answer.

Answer 5

When all else fails, lie. It's worked wonders for me so far. There's only a small percentage of people who are 100% truthful on those applications. What can it hurt? If telling the truth is costing you the job, then taking a chance on lying is not going to be any worse. You might actually get the job in that event. Give it a shot. You want to eat don't you?

Answer 6

im sure you will be asked to explain the reasoning behind it since you were employed at the same place 12 years and then fired...or beat um to the punchline and when you write fired or your preferred choice of word also put a short simple explanation next to it for example...fired "due to injury on the job legal case pending" or something to that nature

Answer 7

Put "Will explain at interview" on the application. A former employer that gives more information then asked can be fined by the feds by the way.

Answer 8

you have to be honest, you may want to put something along the lines of "legal dispute" or something