There has been a lot on this site about being at a job for 20, 25, 30+ years, great work evals, excellent work ethics only to receive a new supervisor who pads your personnel file with minor disciplinary action. Then to be side-swiped with a poor eval. To no longer be respected for a the knowledge you have.

23 Comments

1. AnonymousJune 5,2024 at 7:38PM UTC

   There is so much legal risk involved in providing this type of info. Most companies do not allow anyone to provide details surrounding employment beyond time worked and would that person be rehired. Many companies have been sued for volunteering details and personal opinions. A work reference can be provided instead where the person has agreed to provide their personal experience working with you.

2. AnonymousJune 5,2024 at 10:36PM UTC

   It rarely happens and most businesses won't say other than to confirm your years and rehirability. As a hiring manager, I rarely have time to follow up with ex-employers. I'm not dumb. You're obviously leaving for a reason. What I will say though is I do see these posts a lot about getting side-swiped and I've hired people who have claimed to be in that situation only to discover that yep, the deficit was real. Be thoughtful about the feedback you get even if it's bad. Really think about whether the issue is that the feedback isn't valid or if past managers did you a disservice. Work with the new supervisor to get a development plan.

3. AnonymousJune 6,2024 at 1:30AM UTC

   This would only happen (officially) if you utilized someone at the company as a personal/professional reference and signed a waiver that allowed them to comment on your work. Otherwise, this exposes them to a slander, retribution, or discrimination lawsuit. Your work history is considered private information, and they can only disclose your title and the dates you worked (in some states they can also disclose whether or not you are rehireable).

4. AnonymousJune 6,2024 at 2:56AM UTC

   Less companies now are talking to previous employers. They typically just verify that you worked where you say you did.

5. AnonymousJune 7,2024 at 12:28PM UTC

   I always have HR contact a candidate's previous employer to verify dates of employment. Anything more than that is just their manager's opinion, which I'm not interested in.

6. AnonymousJune 7,2024 at 12:57PM UTC

   Here in GA, we can only tell Start Date, Last Date and if you are eligible to Rehire. No opinions. I was told that was a legal matter. We have a direct HR person that handles that. Supervisors and Managers do not talk to those people.

7. NatashaJune 7,2024 at 4:48PM UTC

   Same in California. I was a hiring Senior Manager. I never received any requests about former employees ever and if I did happen to get one, especially for an employee who was terminated for bad behavior, I was told to forward the request to HR.

8. StellaJune 7,2024 at 11:54PM UTC

   The problem is if eligible for rehire is a “no” prospective employers will form an opinion and pass on you.

9. AnonymousJune 7,2024 at 1:05PM UTC

   I had an instance where new potential employer informally or “backdoored” a conversation with my former employer. At the former employer, there was full team turnover when the new team leader arrived from an internal move. That is, team exists, new leader transitions in, entire existing team transitions out - internal moves and some left the company. New replacement hires (including me) arrive. Months later, I’m out. Typically, your candidacy with future employers is passed for whatever stated reason. An external recruiter was thoughtful enough to share with me the internal HR backdoored and I got saddled with the blame. New opportunity lost.

10. StellaJune 7,2024 at 1:25PM UTC

    No because this behavior is indicative of a toxic culture. Most employees are afraid to offer information due to their head being in the chopping block. HR is tight lipped to offer you any help once you are cast aside due to legalities. It’s sad but that is corporate life at a bad company.

11. Kathryn BuerJune 9,2024 at 5:27PM UTC

    This is actually life at any big Corporation. Look at all the people on this email chain advocating get a lawyer, get the EEOC, file a lawsuit....That's why employers are very, very careful about what they say after someone is gone. These people will have had their ducks in a row and their documents tight just to avoid the onslaught. It's very sad but I have to agree with the poster who said after 15 20 30 years your salary is much higher and most employers don't feel your experiences worth the higher money. Maybe shortsighted on their part but since all of business is set up on that bottom line it may be the way we've evolved.

12. AnonymousSeptember 10,2024 at 1:24PM UTC

    I get that. Perhaps it's a pay thing. But don't gaslight an employee to think maybe it's me. Because of all of it you decide to quit, get out of the toxic environment and because you were so wrapped up in trying to keep your head above water, you now realize your employer was gaslighting you to think you are no longer adequate for the position that you've had for so many years, completed all required training and then some. It's wrong and mentally harmful. HR and the EEOC are not going to help you, they will work with the supervisor, manager, director to make sure they are justified in their actions.

13. Melissa HacheyJune 7,2024 at 1:42PM UTC

    These people should be documenting everything and discussing with an employment lawyer or taking it to the EEOC and file a discrimination suit

14. AnonymousJune 7,2024 at 2:28PM UTC

    This was my story, and I documented everything along the way and paid for copies of everything in my personnel file. Going back to them later would make them think you want to sue, so they'd clean up your personnel files (which should only have things you've seen).

15. AnonymousJune 7,2024 at 3:19PM UTC

    Sure that does happen, however if you are terminated for ANY cause I always recommend to those folks to be sure to have a 2 way non-disparagement clause in the exit documents. Also be sure to get in writing in your personnel folder that the company can only provide dates of employment to those inquiring and not information about regretted or non-regretted leaving. Most employers out of fear of legal action these days will only give dates of employment.

16. NatashaJune 7,2024 at 4:41PM UTC

    In California, they will say nothing even without the paper. They only confirm whether you worked there and the dates. That's it! I don't even think Managers will say anything about how you performed your job duties...inquiries are forwarded to HR to confirm employment dates. I've never received any requests about former employees. I don't even think people call references either anymore even if they ask for them because colleagues have asked me for references before but no one ever called to speak with me. I've even provided names for references for jobs but no one has ever contacted my references. No one wants the headache of being sued or the possibility of being sued. Plus, references are useless! I've never contacted an individual for a reference because they will obviously say nice things about the person otherwise they wouldn't use them as a reference. We rely on background check services but you can only check the verifiable facts. For personality and technical checks you have to either do tests and rely on gut instincts. However, even with those you will never really know who you are dealing with until you hire them. Everyone you meet whether if it's a job candidate or a romantic candidate, you are meeting that person's Representative and not necessarily their true self of who they are when no one is watching because people want to be the best person they can be during that time to win the job or win the mate. It's human behavior. But no one is perfect but I do expect everyone to at least be honest about what they bring to the table because the truth will always come to light, eventually.

17. NatashaJune 7,2024 at 4:20PM UTC

    Um, I wouldn't worry about that because that doesn't happen anymore and hasn't in decades, at least not in California! It could be considered a privacy issue. and companies just don't want to say anything but minimal facts. They will only confirm you worked there from this date to that date and your job title. They don't go into details about any HR issues or compensation you were paid. Heck, large companies are using a service to confirm through background checks. I don't even think a hiring manager will ever speak to your former Boss. They are sent to HR. I've been a hiring manager and no one has ever contacted me about a former employee before. Not once. I remember when I was considering candidates I personally tried to verify a certification the candidate had on their resume and the certification body wouldn't even confirm it and stated privacy issue. I told them that's not considered a privacy issue when they are publicizing it on their resume to get a job! Then the rep said that in the past a person threatened to sue because they confirmed whether the person was certified or not so they no longer provided that information so I would have to get something in writing to confirm it. I told them they need to revisit that policy because candidates are outright misrepresenting themselves saying they are certified when they are not. Ridiculous! I told them that obviously that person was lying to get a job and mad that they got caught. They said they would revisit that. Fast forward, a year later they created a public database where professionals could opt in to be included when they pay their certification renewal fees. So, going forward if the candidate wasn't in the certification database I inquired why. The only reason a person would not be willing to be opted in to that database is because they did not have that certification and was lying on their application! I did not see any other reason why and they would be disqualified from my list of candidates. Point blank. I didn't have time for this. Now, if for some reason they didn't know about that database it meant that they may have been certified at some point but obviously wasn't "active"...the database listed active and nonactive. An inactive certification would still be considered as long as they reactivated it later. But no one could lie their way there. Later, that became part of the background check because no one has time to chase down dishonest people. You would be surprise how many people would misrepresent their certifications and even university degree! But people are so sue happy especially those doing the wrong thing and fear of getting caught that companies don't want the unnecessary headaches so they provide the basic facts. Yes or no you worked there and the dates.

18. AnonymousJune 9,2024 at 1:59PM UTC

    Great explanation...it all makes sense. I have been through it with a company I loved. I didn't understand what the heck was going on. I felt betrayed, I was stressed, mentally drained, and done. So organizations will destroy people for their bottom line....terrible.

19. NatashaJune 7,2024 at 4:30PM UTC

    To add to my other long post...I know personally of people who were terminated for let's say very bad and unethical behavior but are working in very nice positions today, even on stage at conferences and looking fantastic on their LinkedIn profile and posts. I just shake my head behind my screen. Their current employer has no idea of their true character! Only people who have been convicted of a crime will be found out but unless they have a criminal record no one will ever know. And just because some may say they received a severance package hinting to the fact that they were part of a reorg etc may not always be true but you will never know the truth. Even wrongdoers can get paid to just go away and sometimes paid well! I've witnessed it! All criminal activity is unethical but not all unethical activity is criminal. This is the world we are living in today. Good luck out there.

20. AnonymousJune 8,2024 at 4:38PM UTC

    Unfortunately yes it is. Especially sexual harassers, they're allowed to "leave quietly" and more often than not, land somewhere else right away. Meanwhile, hard, honest employees who have given their all are bullied, sidelined, gaslit, you name it, and are job hunting for months and having to explain our "poor judgment". It's unfair and ridiculous (understatement, I know)!

21. GeetaJune 7,2024 at 4:38PM UTC

    No

22. AnonymousJune 7,2024 at 6:39PM UTC

    This is so common, it’s frustrating.

23. maria roseJune 8,2024 at 9:20PM UTC

    All you have described is what happens when employers are given mandates by the shareholders to achieve a required profit level which means eliminating costs across the board regardless of where cost are cut. Labor costs is the single largest contributor that drastically affects the bottom line profits and those newly hired efficiency experts are merely looking at numbers rather than the actual human staff abilities. So the longer term employees are going to have the higher salaries and can be accused of not performing at the new current expectations despite being the most efficient in job performance because it’s cheaper to hire in a new person with little or less efficiency than to keep the higher salaried employees. .They are falling a script that sounds excellent on paper but has no practical use. I have seen enough companies that are no longer in existence following this tren. Look at it as a signal to find a job that will employ you to your desired retirement age and make sure you get all benefits owed you including pension benefits and healthcare benefits to carry you until you can sign up for Medicare . It’s not you or your performance that’s the issue but just a financial decision based on the profit line and you just received the true value of your position to the company. We are just numbers affecting the profits