Re: Potential Employers and your not wanting them to contact previous employers

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I've been an RN a little over a year, and the first 8 months was spent in home health.

I absolutely hated that job, and though when I left the administrator told me I could count on her to give me a good referral...I will just say that in light of the goings on I saw in that place and how cut throat it was I would not want to count on it. It really is an experience I would rather forget and I wouldn't even want to put it on my job application and if I do, I would check "no" when they asked if they could contact the employer.

This leaves me thinking I might have some splaining to do. So what do I tell them? I tried but it wasn't good enough...I couldn't take the stress of being expected to go out every single day of the week instead of just being able to do my job and GO HOME... I got so sick of running the wheels off my car...I got so sick of my cell phone ringing all the time...it made me stressed out and nervous to have to go in so many different peoples' houses...I got so sick of being blamed for things I had absolutely no control over...

If I'm going to be truthful that is what I would have to say. I'm not someone who wants to sugar coat things, either, and I wonder if this will hurt me? I'm a what you see is what you get person and I want everything to be out front from the beginning. Problem is, I know this isn't always a smart thing to do, especially if they don't need to know every little detail. So how do you go about explaining why you don't want them to call one of your former employers without ruining it for yourself?

I can tell from your post that you are very conscientious and take everything to heart. This makes you suffer more when things are not right and you feel responsible for more than you can reasonably do. Your concern about references is valid, but only if there are negative outcomes. I have encountered various forms of problems with references and came to the conclusion that I wouldn't put "do not contact" on job applications to avoid contributing to any reference problem. That's because when I put "do not contact", guess what, they called anyway. Sometimes they don't call at all. Sometimes they call and God only knows who they get on the phone and what they do or do not say, or what their tone of voice says, etc., etc. This is out of your control unless someone actually tells you that you were given a bad reference and provides you the info you need to counter the reference. Most negativity can be dealt with in the interview anyway. You should just be prepared for your interviews and do not obsess about the references. My daughter told me this because I was doing the same thing. Worrying about something that I couldn't help. Most of the time the people whose names I put down for references or supervisors are gone down the road by the time I apply for new jobs anyway.

I was given this tip a long time ago. It may or may not help. Obtain a written letter of reference when you depart a job. As pointed out, these can be faked, but since they can call anyway, they can simply verify the letter if they want. But the letter itself may prevent those calls. And I take copies of these letters with me to interviews and offer them to the interviewer. To me, this is the best way to counter whatever may, or may not happen, over the phone. Good luck with your job hunting.

employers are limited in what they can legally say. It's any references you include that will be followed up on, details asked and so forth. Usually the calling an old employer more or less verifies you were there and not lying on the app about having worked there in the first place.

In the past I was in your same situation... had worked somewhere that I did not care to have contacted. When it asked for who my supervisor was in a space, I wrote ("is no longer w/company") which actually was the truth in my case.

Specializes in Acute Hemodialysis, Cardiac, ICU, OR.

SK-222, please see what I wrote before:

As far as what former employers can say, that's a matter of individual state. In Texas, a former employer can say or NOT say anything that they want, as long as it isn't slander -- meaning it's not an outright lie that can be easily proven wrong (like, 'she was always late' -- that can be disproven with a timesheet or witness reports, for instance). I found this out after calling several offices, including the state and federal Attorney Generals and Workforce Commissions. I had this employer in my past that was so ticked at me, that they just figured if they refused to respond to prospective employers' request to verify employment dates, that would somehow preclude me from ever getting a job in nursing again. They gave both me and the prospective employer the runaround, saying they can't release any information (not even to verify dates!) without my express written permission and refused to return any phone calls to either of us. I sent in the 'written permission' to no avail. After a few days of this, I just brought in my tax records proving that they had paid me for SOMETHING for those two years. Talk about VINDICTIVE!

I know that years ago, when I lived and worked in Maryland, the laws there were different -- at that time and in that place, all an employer could do was say "yes, they were employed here" or "no, never heard of them" -- nothing else. I'm sure there are still states that have this policy, but Texas is not one of them.

you did it for 8 months, and you had to learn something! focus on what you learned and how it can benefit your new employer!

put it on the resume, and let them call. the empolyer will only give them your dates of employment, period. why did you leave? you want to seek another opportunity in a different setting. home health just isn't for you, that's all. the last thing an employer will do is trash you, even if you sucked. period. they're scared of the liability.

if you say they can't call, that throws up a red flag.

you are VASTLY OVERCONCERNED ABOUT THIS!

take a chill pill. put down the job, let them check your references, and you'll get job offers. act uptight, and you're limiting yourself.

Specializes in Emergency/Trauma/Education.

"May we contact your previous employer" is usually directed at the Human Resources side of your employment. The information that can be given is if you're eligible for re-hire or not. This is an HR-to-HR communication.

I agree with a previous post about describing it as "not a good fit". It sounds as if you were truly miserable and found out the hard way that HH isn't for you. There's nothing shaming about that! Not everyone is "cut out" or "made for" everything.

That's a benefit of being a nurse...there are plenty of specialties available for you to find your "home". Good luck!

Why not call your former employer posing as a prospective employer. Ask all the "legitimate" questions you would expect them to answer and see for yourself how they answer. A little sneaky perhaps, but at least you'll know how to counteract what they might say.

:-)

Specializes in ICU, L&D, Home Health.

My goodness, the last place you worked sounds like a hellhole! Good thing you left that sinking ship...as far as references, I've been through my own job-hopping recently. My current employer was happy to accept a copy of previous performance evaluations in lieu of calling. During my interview, when questioned, I just said that it hadn't been a good match. I was offered my current ICU position at the interview. Good luck!

Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.
Why not call your former employer posing as a prospective employer. Ask all the "legitimate" questions you would expect them to answer and see for yourself how they answer. A little sneaky perhaps, but at least you'll know how to counteract what they might say.

:-)

Committing fraud will definitely not help the situation ... :stone

Specializes in Geriatrics, Med-Surg..

I do not blame you for leaving. I have only been a nurse for a short time but have already seen a few real crapholes, and I would hope that even someone recruiting has to know that in nursing there are just some situations that just are not feasible. I wish you the best of luck.

Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.

The others have it right. They can't contact an employer to verify you worked there without your permission. Most will just give dates of employment, job title, reason for leaving (voluntary, involuntary, laid-off, etc).

I listed my previous manager as a reference, otherwise they'd only just get the basic facts from HR

Specializes in ER OB NICU.

I believe that state laws generally support objective answers only. LIKE Yes,she worked here. Whether you were on time, showed up, took advantage of calling in. salary, and amount of time employed.]

Usually they verfy other employers only for that info, and to check out experience. The personal references are the ones who I have found, are most generally asked the most questions.

Specializes in Med Surg, Hospice.

When I was unemployed for 9 months, I thought a former employer was gtiving me a bad reference, so I called them, put on a really nasally voice and asked for a reference on myself. My old supervisor gave me a good one, and even said I was eligible fore rehire (course, I have never reapplied to work there as much as I loved the job).

I had another job in which I left without giving notice (stupid to do), but at the time, the other company was pushing me to start right away. I left this job because I was told I'd have a 2 week, part time trial period, then when my trial was over, I'd be moved to full time. When that time came, I was told it would be "the end of the month". End of the month came, and guess what? Full time was put off for another 4 months. The job I left for was full time temp, but it didn't work out because the person they promoted screwed up the new job so bad, they moved her back to her old position, and my rear was left hanging in the wind.

I got a very snotty email from my old employer who told me not to contact them for a reference. (Yes, that's how ticked off at me she was). I would put "Company owner requested not to be contacted" under the can we contact line. In the interview, I explained how they kept promising full time, and it didn't happen, and I had to find a full time job because I couldn't live on 25 hours a week. Prospective employers were nice about it, and one even said "You really got screwed, huh?" I just smiled and said I just couldn't wait 4 more months to go full time. I didn't say anything bad about the employer (although I could have told stories that could have curled people's hair), and it all worked out. I even got my current job without references being contacted. Good luck to you! :)

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