I Suspect A Previous Employer Is Giving Me Bad References

[91210]

I want to pose as a potential employer and ask for references to see what they say.

Are any of you employers? What kind of questions are you usually asked and how can I format and word this so it appears legitimate and to not arouse suspicion?

Can I do this from a normal gmail account or are there any email accounts which allow me to make a fake companies email so I sound legitimate?

Is there any likelyhood that my previous employer would try and investigate where the email came from or the company I'm trying to fake or would they just answer the questions put to them?

If I've missed anything please feel free to chime in and help in any way you can.

Thank you for your time in reading this and for any answers I receive.

[woofgang]

If they are doing this, they may be doing it verbally which will be really hard to prove. This might help
"Do I have a right to see a reference written about me?

Your previous or current employer doesn't have to show you a reference they've written about you. So if you want to see a reference that's been written about you, you should make a request to the employer the reference was sent to. You should make this request under the Data Protection Act. The employer will then work out whether they can show you the reference, in line with the Data Protection Act. You can find out more about making a request to see a reference on the Information Commissioner's website at: www.ico.org.uk. Or you can call their helpline on 0303 123 1113. The helpline is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Can my employer write a bad reference about me?

Your employer has a duty to write an accurate reference about you, and shouldn't mislead the employer asking for the reference. But some information shouldn't be included in a reference, unless you agree to it. This is information like your medical records, or information about spent criminal convictions.

In England, Wales and Scotland, for more information about spent criminal convictions and work, see Do I have to tell my employers about my criminal record?

Your employer also mustn't give information in a reference or another document, for example, an e-mail, which is inaccurate, or which is deliberately wrong or misleading. If this has happened, you may be able to take action against your employer.

If you're in this situation, you should get advice from an experienced adviser, for example at a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by email, click on nearest CAB."

link here
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/work_e/work_rights_at_work_e/basic_rights_at_work.htm

[Postdog]

I suspect this is a troll given the other question asked. Apologies if wrong but I do.

[jno]

sounds like a good question whoever's asking it, and woofgang's provided a useful answer.

[Buenchico]

Some general points:
1. Most potential employers don't ask any specific questions; they simply ask for a reference.
2. Nobody is obliged to provide a reference; they can simply refuse to do so.
3. Anyone (including someone providing a reference) is free to write what they like about anyone else (including former employees) as long as it's not defamatory and doesn't breach the terms of the Data Protection Act. (Many people writing references might prefer to leave the recipient to 'read between the lines' rather than write "Fred Bloggs is thick, lazy and unreliable" but they're free to do so if their statements are true or, if somewhat subjective, still "fair comment").
4. If a potential employer refuses you employment based upon a poor reference (or apparently so) you have the legal right to demand a copy of that reference from the potential employer (not from the previous one) even if it was marked 'Confidential':
https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/case-stories/case-story-1/
So it's the (potential) NEW employer that you should be seeking to get the information from, NOT the OLD one.