Previous Employer Making Negative Comments

[agrieder]

I was employed by a company less than 90 days. I was let go and simply told I wasn't the right fit for his company. I've been seeking other employment and found out the previous employer declined to give out any information about me. He apparetnly didn't say anything negative but would not answer their questions. This obviously portrayed a negative image and I was not considered for the job. What can I do to protect myself from this last employer doing this again? If I took him off of my resume and excluded information about him in applications will prospective employers see that I worked for him?

 

[cbg]

No employer is legally obligated to provide references. There is nothing you can do to "protect yourself from him doing it again" because no law is going to force him to provide you with a reference.

If you take him off your resume it is not impossible that employers will still find out you worked for him. I have found out reference information about employees in ways you would never suspect, when I wasn't even looking for it. Obviously I can't guarantee that they will, but I certainly can't guarantee that they won't.

If you worked for him for more than about two-three weeks I do not recommend leaving him off your resume as that can be construed as falsifying your application, which is a do-not-hire/firing offense.

Employers are quite used to other employers refusing to give information. More employers won't give out information than those that will. It is quite unlikely that the sole reason you were not hired is that the employer refused to answer their questions; quite likely the previous employers of other applicants refused to answer questions as well.

 

[seniorjudge]

Don't lie on your resume.

Lots of prospective employers don't give a rip about what a prior employer says about you.

But most employers will fire you instantly if they find out you've lied.