verification of employment after termination

[minkey]

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? CA

I was recently fired from my last job and have been interviewing for several new positions in the same field. I have found an employer who would like to make me an offer, however my previous employer is not returning calls and verifying my employment. I undersand that they can only say when I worked there, and if I was discharged or quit - is this correct? What can I do to get them to return the 4 phone messages left by the new employer? by not calling back, they are preventing me from obtaining a new job - do I have any rights? please advise...

 

[Gadfly]

Call your previous employer and find out why the calls are not being returned.

 

[mlane58]

I undersand that they can only say when I worked there, and if I was discharged or quit - is this correct?

No its not. An employer can disclose anything to a potential employer they feel is truthful or in their opinion.

What can I do to get them to return the 4 phone messages left by the new employer? by not calling back, they are preventing me from obtaining a new job - do I have any rights?

Like Gadfly stated,

Call your previous employer and find out why the calls are not being returned.

 

[xylene]

I undersand that they can only say when I worked there, and if I was discharged or quit - is this correct?

You are confusing a common & sensible corporate policy with a law. Mlane58's statement is the law.

Even with such a policy, they have no obligations to return employment verification calls, legally speaking.

It probably speaks to a shoddy HR department.

I also doubt that one employer not verifying employment would cost you a potential job.

For the sake of amusement, why were you fired?

 

[Some Random Guy]

Since your employer will not verify employment, you should show the new employer copies of your paystubs or other documents verifying the dates that you worked there. Feel free to cover up any dollar amounts before making copies.

 

[Neal1421]

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? CA

I undersand that they can only say when I worked there, and if I was discharged or quit - is this correct?

I work for a background researching agency and trust me, we can ask a whole lot more than that. For example, position, dates of employment, salary (it's up to the employer if they want to answer that), the reason why you left, whether you are eligible for rehire and any we ask if there are any other comments that they have about your performance.
It just depends on how extensively they do their research.

 

[Gadfly]

Once upon a time employeers gave out everything. Then someone sued someone because they couldn't get a job. The fired employee won and got a lot of money.

Companies started with holding information to "protect" their companies.

Then someone hired someone who had done something really nasty and this employee did it at the new place so the new company sued the previous company for failure to disclose. The new company won.

Now everyone is confused.

 

[xylene]

I work for a background researching agency and trust me, we can ask a whole lot more than that. For example, position, dates of employment, salary (it's up to the employer if they want to answer that), the reason why you left, whether you are eligible for rehire and any we ask if there are any other comments that they have about your performance.
It just depends on how extensively they do their research.

You can ask whatever you want. But the employer can withhold whatever they want, not just salary history.

At a firm I know well put it this way- Concerning ANY incoming telephone calls- unless we know you, you are a client or a potential client, or are calling us back about something we solicitied and/or a current and legitimate financial matter, the odds of us even completing a telephone conversation are pretty slim. Time is just too valuable.

Sorry 1421- unless a someone has informed us that they are planing to use us as a reference and who specifically (ie that persons name) to expect a call from, then we aren't talking to anybody.

Especially a data mining "background researcher"

 

[Neal1421]

You can ask whatever you want. But the employer can withhold whatever they want, not just salary history.

At a firm I know well put it this way- Concerning ANY incoming telephone calls- unless we know you, you are a client or a potential client, or are calling us back about something we solicitied and/or a current and legitimate financial matter, the odds of us even completing a telephone conversation are pretty slim. Time is just too valuable.

Sorry 1421- unless a someone has informed us that they are planing to use us as a reference and who specifically (ie that persons name) to expect a call from, then we aren't talking to anybody.

Especially a data mining "background researcher"

I know that they can withhold anything they wish, however that is just what they withhold most. Some companies don't respond at all but most of them do.

In most situations we are speaking to people in the Human Resources dept. unless the person has listed someone as their previous supervisor and given their number.

Actually, I work for a risk consulting firm as a private investigator and researcher, so I am not just a "background researcher". I just chose those words as they were the most simple.