Asked to come back and work for them again but listed as non re-hire-able!

[Raven1903]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Illinois

I was terminated from a job in January of 2014 and moved shortly after. not long after that i was sent a letter on company stationary asking if i would be will in to come back and work for them. Recently i applied for a job in the same field in the area i currently live. the new company showed great interest in me until they contacted my former employer. Both companies are owned by the same core company. I was told that my former employer stated that i was non re-hire-able. I was then told that i could call the person that gave them the negative reference and see if he would change his statement and that the letter i still have (from the same person who gave the negative reference by the way) that is asking if i would be willing to return to work for them and that my employment with them was over all acceptable means nothing.

Is this legal? Also what can i do to get this resolved?

 

[Zigner]

This is perfectly legal. Diplomacy would be your recourse.

 

[cbg]

Yes, it is legal. No laws address the issue of eligibility for rehire; as long as Title VII and related laws are not violated the employer is free to set those rules any way he wants to. I once worked for a company which, because of complicated non-disclosure and intellectual property issues, listed EVERYONE as ineligible for rehire. That was legal too.

You do not have a right under the law to be listed as rehireable, or to be hired by any particular company.

As for resolution, this is an internal matter, not a legal one. The two companies will have to work it out themselves.

 

[Raven1903]

thank you for your advice i am working with both companies and trying my best to resolve the issue.

it is unfortunate that companies are allowed to do this but obviously unavoidable.

 

[cbg]

As with the case I referenced above, there are sometimes some good and valid reasons for such a policy. There can also be good and valid reasons why a specific individual might not be eligible. Without knowing what the reasoning behind your categorization is, there's really no way to form an opinion as to the justification in your case. But justified or not, it's legal.

Sorry.