slander/libel

[Andrea Breaux]

I was employed by a company for a year an a half, the working conditions were horrible and I quit. I attempted to find employment elsewhere and found out that co-workers upon finding out that I was looking elsewhere called the potential employer and said everything I put on my resume was trash and the information on my resume is a lie. The individuals were not my references. I believe these same co-workers have done the same to me at my current employment and fear that they are going to fire me under false pretenses because they believe what they have been told. I also heard the branch mgr of the company say to another employee that he was told my resume was trash. If I know that my current employer has called and tried to dig into my work history after they have hired me but do not have concrete proof, is this legal for them to do? If I know that I'm being slandered and previous co-workers are trying to prevent me from gettting employment because they are trying to be vindictive and malicious what could I do. Could I sue for slander/libel

[Edited by Andrea Breaux on 12-21-2000 at 12:37 AM]

 

[lawrat]

I am a law school graduate. What I offer is mere information, not to be construed as forming an attorney client relationship.

Sounds complicated. Don't play private investigator. Get a labor law attonrey to do the work and find it out. If you do, you not only have a defamation claim but perhaps an invasion of privacy claim, as well.

Try http://www.attorneypages.com or call your state bar association and ask for lawyer referral.

 

[Andrea Breaux]

To lawrat, what are the california laws to slander/libel in the situation I mentioned earlier?

Can the company be held liable for defamation if the President of the company knew about the defamatory remarks made by the co-workers and supported them going out of there way to defame me even after I left? Or would I have to sue the individuals?

What about my current job status, the last company I worked for was an "at will" company as well as my current employer, do I have any recourse if they fire me because of what they've been told. My current employer feels they are being told the truth by these co-workers but they are not being told the truth, am I out of luck with or without proof.

Can my current employer legally check my work history after hiring me due to negative comments made by former employees/employers? Besides getting a labor law attorney involved, what other recourses do I have to deal with the consequences of vindictive, malicious talk?

I have much more details of what I experienced while working with this highly unprofessional company.


[Edited by Andrea Breaux on 12-21-2000 at 12:53 AM]