Is it illegal for a boss to interfere in your hiring process?

[Question9463]

Jurisdiction

D.C.

I was approached by a hiring director in my dept about applying for a job. I applied and 2 days later my supervisor asked why I didn't inform her. 30 minutes after our meeting the director told me they wouldn't move forward because they didn't know it was a time commitment. I had not spoken to the director since applying. None of this is recorded in email.

This supervisor has gotten progressively worse and I really LOVE my work environment. I am planning to go to HR about other issues but this is also something that has happened and I want to know if it will help or hurt the situation? Or will it matter at all?

 

[cbg]

We have no way of knowing if going to HR will help, hurt, or be indifferent. However, I can tell you that no laws were broken and no protected rights violated.

 

[adjusterjack]

I am planning to go to HR

Kiss of death.

 

[hrforme]

Actually I already answered you on the other post. Many times managers ARE consulted when an employee wants to change jobs/departments. There is nothing illegal about the hiring director and your manager discussing the situation or even your manager going to the hiring director when he/she heard you were applying elsewhere in the company. It would have been smarter for the Hiring Director to speak with your manager first rather than coming directly to you about the position if they were going to give the manager the ability to say no to the transfer.

Again there is nothing illegal about your situation and if the manager had enough pull to stop the transfer, I am not sure HR is going to do anything for you. And I agree it could be a very career limiting move. You are claiming whatever you can as illegal (which none of it so far is) and you are just going to waste HRs time. And they don't like that! Nothing you said is protected, so retaliation doesn't come into play.

and again, I am not understanding your reference to them not moving forward due to a "time commitment" unless there is some policy (maybe not even written or that well known) that you have to stay where you are for a certain time if your manager disapproves of the transfer. But they could refuse to keep processing any job change for just about any reason, so the time commitment is just one reason that they are telling you. They didn't even need to tell you that. Just that you are no longer being considered.