Requested a reference from my current employer

[jnewns]

Hi, I recently applied for a new job and on the application form I stated that I did not want my current employer to be contacted prior to any offer being made.

To my horror they sent a reference request form to my current employer who is now questioning why he received it. Fortunately I am currently on a weeks leave but I am not looking forward in returning to work next week and am stressing myself out over it.

Basically....should I be worried ? Can my current employer do anything about it - i.e discipline me, fire me.

Any help would be appreciated.

Justin

[Hermia]

I don't think they can discipline or fire you, although I suppose they may make life hard for you. What is your reason for applying for another job? Maybe if you told them that the other job was nearer to your home or something like that (basically a reason that doesn't involve slagging off your present job/boss) it might appease your boss. I've very lucky as my boss is happy to juggle timetables to allow people to go for job interviews because he knows it's not a job people will stay in for life.

Look on the bright side - the fact that a reference request has been made suggests this other company likes the look of you!

[WoWo]

Personally I'd be honest. Not much point in hiding it, when I have done that in the past it's normally been greeted with in a positive way rather than them frog marching me out of the door.

There isn't much they can do, you haven't broken any rules and they have no grounds to do anything.

[WoWo]

One other little bit of advice is to look for something in the new job that you know your current employer cannot provide. This is your "reason" for applying. This means they can't argue that they are offering everything your potential new emplyer is and gives you the chance to say something along the lines of "I really like this job and don't desperately want to leave but this new job has <insert thing here> which I know you can't provide."

[Buenchico]

Firstly, I agree that the best policy is one of honesty but a little tact can go a long way! If your boss asks you why you want to leave, the tactless (but honest) answer might be, "Because I'm working for a company that han't got a clue how to run a business and the pay is crap". You can be equally honest however by saying, "I feel that I'm beginning to stagnate in my present job and I'd like to take on some new challenges. I saw the advert for the other company and I liked the look of what they were offering - particularly the better pay!". (You never know, if your current boss actually values your contribution to the business, you might even get a pay rise!).

You might want to ask yourself, however,whether you really want to work for a company which completely ignores your 'no references at this stage' request. Just how responsive will they be to any problems or difficulties you might encounter in the future? (Having said that, there are some careers, e.g. teaching, where references are always consulted before a short list for interview is drawn up. If you're in a type of occupation where similar practices always apply, you can't really expect a potential new employer to make an exception just for you).

Chris

[Buenchico]

Just an afterthought:

It's always considered polite to ask someone whether they'd be prepared to give you a reference before putting their name forward as a referee.

I suggest you apologise to your boss for your apparent lack of courtesy and indicate that you had intended to ask him at a later date.

And, no, he hasn't got any grounds to invoke any form of disciplinary procedure against you.

Chris