Blacklisted?

Specialties Home Health

Published

Specializes in HH, Psych, MR/DD, geriatric, agency.

I read in another thread about nurses being blacklisted. I'm a little confused because I thought blacklisting was outlawed decades ago. How do you know if you're being blacklisted? Past employers are not permitted to reveal any negative information that could hinder a future employment opportunity. Future employers are not permitted to ask certain questions of you or of your references. If they get caught, the employee affected can consult a lawyer.

I guess I'm just confused. I thought there were laws that protected us from blacklisting.

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I consulted an attorney when I was being blacklisted and the attorney set me straight.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

While there are some questions that an employer cannot ask or answer, that doesn't mean there isn't enough leeway for a former employer to give you a negative reference. Potential future employers aren't stupid. They can "read between the lines" and take the hint. For example, you can simply be labeled as "ineligible for re-hire" -- which is a way for your former employer to signal that they think badly of you. There's nothing illegal about that.

Lesson: Once you get a bad professional reputation (even if it is unjustified), it is hard to raise it. So, be careful and always leave on good terms if at all possible.

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I too have heard of this. An office employee at my HH agency wanted to quit one day right on the spot and her manager threatened to report her to some regional list keeper for HH angencies. So, she stayed her 2 weeks and that was that. Sounded fishy to me!

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Blacklisting can happen in all sorts of ways.

For example. One of my current employers "failed" to call back and give me a reference. That cost me a job. They did it on purpose because they are having trouble hiring people to fill certain positions. They made it impossible for me to take the new and better job.

An attorney consultation may not be a bad idea in some cases.

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