Using A Reference Check Service?

I heard this is a good way to find out if your previous employer is badmouthing you, and hurting your chances to find new work.

Have any of you ever paid for a reference checking service? Or had a friend or family member call up your former employer while pretending to be a perspective employer who is looking into hiring you?

If you have, what kinds of questions must you have your friend ask in the phone call? Also, did you get a good referral from your previous work?


I'm thinking about using this service on my last employer. At my work, I was put between a rock and a hard place and was forced to quit. Despite being told by the president of the company that I was one of his best employees a few months ago. I'm not sure if my employer still holds that same opinion after what happened with the mid-level management making promises to me that they would not deliver.

 

Naw, I ain't gotta hire the gang to protect me. I leave good references at my bow.

 

you never know what anyone is going to say about anything. paying someone to find out sounds like some kind of con though.

 

It's quite illegal for previous employers to say anything bad about you. They are only supposed to confirm your employment, its interval, and the term for your departure, quit, fired or layed-off.
They can't even say what you were fired for, thats confidential.

 

The question that I always ask when do a reference check is would you rehire them. Gives me the answer that I require. Even if they choose not to answer.

 

Right, because they aren't barred from saying good things, so they are probably going to answer yes right away if that's the case. Any other answer tells you the contrary.

 

That varies depending on the laws of where you are.

In most cases if you have documentation regarding a dismissal you are also obligated to inform future employers or you can be sued. So If I terminated someone for theft and they are charged and convicted and only given a slap on the wrist for it, I am obligated by law to inform a future employer of this. If they are terminated for breech of company policy or work place violence or harassment I am also obligated to inform a future employer.

 

That's good. I certainly hope that is the case. For a long time my employer would have had good things to say about me. But starting this month, I was taken off the schedule and replaced by a new person. I was not informed as to why. My employer is headquartered in a city 350 miles away and I can most conveniently reach him by phone or e-mail. He has been very shady about getting back in contact with me. He strung me along for 2 weeks before he finally told me he didn't have any more hours for me. I was forced to leave the company due to this horrible treatment. He never told me a reason as to why he could not keep me on board. Not only that, but I looked at my final paycheck and saw that they underpaid my hourly wage by $1.25. I contacted them to let them know they're fucking up.

See this is what I'm afraid of. Although in my state it is perfectly legal to make verbal promises and break them without a signed agreement, my employer promised me lots of things. Plus being strung along for 2 weeks without any work hours, I forced myself to quit. They have underpaid me on a few past pay-stubs as well. When I brought it to their attention, they said everything is correct, which is a lie. Now I want to report them to the bureau of labor and industries for underpaying me as a form of vengeance. I'm so sick of kissing their asses only to be treated so horribly. And if I do report them, I'm most certain they'll say NO upon getting asked "would you rehire this person?"

 

What do you do to check your references?

Give your coat to the hat check

 

Did you file for unemployment? If not, you should have right away, the unemployment office would have had to confirm the reason why they no longer had hours for you.
They have to have a valid reason for firing you, otherwise you are entitled to the full unemployment benefit. If you quit voluntarily, you basically let your employer off the hook.
If they under paid you, you can take them to court and may be awarded up to double what they shorted you.

 

Yeah I filed for unemployment over a week ago. It sure took them a long-ass time to process my information, and the system had lots of glitches and problems, but I think I finally got it through (fingers crossed). I didn't leave voluntarily; they technically fired me. If they decide to correct their errors in my payment then I can't take them to court, otherwise I'll hold them accountable.

Although I did say earlier in a post that I "forced myself to quit," that's not the whole truth. It just feels very deflating to say that I was terminated. I hate saying that because people start asking "oh, what did you do?" and rumors start building up. I couldn't even say it on an anonymous online message board.

 

Not very good reference checkers they.

 

Oh my god... They were a week LATE getting me my final pay check! They underpaid my wage! They strung me along telling me I'd be put on the schedule when I wasn't. I'm reporting their ass to BOLI