can a former employer contact your present employer and ask questions?

Answer 1

Yes. Most laws do not prohibit this; however, they can not slander your name.

Answer 2

Usually, it's the other way around--it's the present or potential employer asking the former employer questions, right? I don't see any reason why an ex employer would contact one's present employer to ask questions. You've already resigned from your old company and gotten hired in a new one. What could your former company possibly want to know--how much you're getting paid now? whether you're performing your duties well? Doesn't compute UNLESS you signed a noncompete agreement with an ex employer stipulating that you will not work for a competitor within x number of years and here you are working for a competitor even before the time restriction is up. In that case, ex employer would probably want to confirm whether you are indeed currently employed with a competitor. That's the only possible reason I can think of for a former employer to contact your new one.

Answer 3

Hope you noticed that the majority of answerers did not understand your question. Why would a former employer contact your present employer? I hope you have told your employer that your information, since you are their employee, is now confidential to the past employer. Doubtful they would give info anyways. I would ask what the former employer is asking about though. Could put lots of people on the hotseat.

Answer 4

No. A former employer may not contact your present employer because they have no right to do so because there is no reason. Why would your former employer have the right to know about your new job? Only the opposite is allowed and even then what they can say is extremely limited. Talk to an atty.

Answer 5

Most of the time, applications today give prospective employers the right to do this, down in the fine print. So if that fine print was on your application, or in any of the papers you signed at the beginning of employment, then they have the right to call and ask pretty much whatever they want. Usually the company you USED to work for is afraid to answer for fear they'll be sued, but sometimes they do.

Most companies today are afraid to say much more than what your job title was, your pay, what years you worked, and whether or not they would rehire you.

Answer 6

Former employers may contact whomever they wish. However, they cannot slander your name. Your present employer may answer questions as they see fit; although the normal limits are whether or not you are employed by them.

Answer 7

The former and the new employer really need to walk carefully in this area. Free speech reins in America however, if the former employer is on a "fishing Expedition" just looking for any trash information about you, they really need to be careful about what they divulge. They could open themselves up to a libel or slander lawsuit. (Libel is written defamation and Slander is verbal defamation) for that reason, Slander is generally harder to prove because the spoken word disappears.

Answer 8

i believe they can ,i am in a school system and each time i was promoted my new boss contacted my former boss,anytime you put down you employment they do have a right to see what type of person they are hiring ,just like a background check.

Answer 9

It's always the Former Employer who makes the call not the Past. and only if he plans to re hire you, call your labor board.

Answer 10

They can ask questions but your former employer may only give them hire and dismissed or leaving dates and if they would hire you back.

Answer 11

i assume absolutely everyone who needs to can touch your contemporary corporation. What the present corporation is permitted to assert is the question. Why could a former corporation want to touch your contemporary corporation besides? A grudge?