Pennsylvania Blacklisting

[NewNeedInfo]

Long story short, I had an interview with a county run long term care facility about 6 months ago. I quickly realized that they lied in their ads and weren't going to pay the $17/hr promised and instead would pay $12ish/hr and if I jumped through enough hoops then and only then would I make the amount that they advertised, which would take at least a month, if not much longer. I politely explained that this wasn't going to work for me and instead of wasting more of their or my time we should stop the interview and go our own ways.

Fast forward to the present and my situation is a bit different so I applied again. I was scheduled for an interview, then I got an email from them stating that because I did not complete the interview process before that they would not be able to proceed with this interview. I found this absurd, both in general and because of how desperate they are in particular and as such I sent them an email asking if having turned them down before I am permanently banned from ever applying again. I got a frankly whiny reply from them that didn't directly answer that question, but reiterated what was already stated that since I didn't finish my interview before they wouldn't be able to proceed with the scheduled interview.

I talked to my wife about this and she said that is called "Blacklisting" and it is illegal - but I couldn't find any info for it being illegal in Pennsylvania. As such I came here to ask the professionals, is this okay for them to do and if not what can I do about it?

 

[quincy]

The facility apparently was not impressed with you during your initial (aborted) interview and made note of this. It is not blacklisting for an employer to decide they don't want to interview you again.

 

[xylene]

I suggest you write, in paper form, a polite letter where you apologize for the prior situation and beg for the chance to apply again.

I think you should have played it cooler in the first interview rather than pulling the rip cord.
Especially by declaring they were wasting your time. Ouch.

It really really really would have been better to decline the 12 and the job than to look like a loose canon with a chip on your shoulder.

 

[cbg]

Your wife is wrong. Although blacklisting is illegal, this is not blacklisting.

And, yes, it is perfectly okay for them to decline to interview you a second time.

 

[Whoops2u]

It is not unusual for a company, or governmental entity, to only give one chance at securing a job. When I was young a long time ago, I went to be a man in brown (UPS) but you had to start in the sorting department before getting on a truck. Sorting department was minimum wage while the truck could be a career. I backed out and they warned me that I could not apply again.

It costs money to interview and otherwise vet a potential employee and it is reasonable and not illegal to deny a person the ability to reapply if you wasted their time in the past. It is not blacklisting, but a reasonable decision of the company. Blacklisting has to do with you trying to get hired somewhere else and the company tries to hinder your chances.

 

[quincy]

Telling an employer that they lied in their advertising is not a way to endear yourself to the employer. It is a way to make an employer think you are a lawsuit risk best avoided.

 

[NewNeedInfo]

To clarify a few points:

Quincy - I did not tell them that it would be a waste of my time, or their time for that matter. I think that is fairly obvious to point out that if something isn't going to work out it would be better to go our own ways rather than continue to interview for no apparent reason. What would the point of that be?

Xylene - I don't want to apply again. They had a different opportunity that was much higher paying that I was interested in. It would be a second job anyhow and I can always find a different one. I was just wondering if I anything could be done about all this. And if anything, they should be apologizing to me and all the other people that they lie to, to get to come to interview with them. We have to take time off work, get all dressed up, get prepared, go in, wait in the lobby, fill out a ton of redundant paperwork, etc. just to find out "Oh yeah, we totally lied about pretty much everything and hope you're dumb enough to still want to work here anyhow..."

CBG - What is blacklisting then? From my understanding and what I've seen online, it is an employer trying to prevent you from getting work...

Whoops2u - Speaking of UPS, I currently work there (also as a sorter) and that is another example of a place that is extremely desperate. Their threats that they made to you were completely unfounded. I've seen countless people come and go, along with loads of people that come and go as they please. It is almost impossible to get fired because, as you know, that job is horrible and they are desperately in need of people. Plus the Teamsters Union. As sad as it is to say, as long as you don't do anything horribly unsafe, physically attack anybody, or steal something, you aren't getting fired there.

Quincy - Also, not sure where you got the idea that I told them that. I didn't, obviously. As I stated, I politely decline their offer. Though they do lie in their advertising, which they obviously know. That place has a horrible reputation, the worst in the county, and despite paying more than anybody else, they can't get or keep people. Hence the need to lie...

 

[quincy]

To clarify a few points:

Quincy - I did not tell them that it would be a waste of my time, or their time for that matter. I think that is fairly obvious to point out that if something isn't going to work out it would be better to go our own ways rather than continue to interview for no apparent reason. What would the point of that be?

Xylene - I don't want to apply again. They had a different opportunity that was much higher paying that I was interested in. It would be a second job anyhow and I can always find a different one. I was just wondering if I anything could be done about all this. And if anything, they should be apologizing to me and all the other people that they lie to, to get to come to interview with them. We have to take time off work, get all dressed up, get prepared, go in, wait in the lobby, fill out a ton of redundant paperwork, etc. just to find out "Oh yeah, we totally lied about pretty much everything and hope you're dumb enough to still want to work here anyhow..."

CBG - What is blacklisting then? From my understanding and what I've seen online, it is an employer trying to prevent you from getting work...

Whoops2u - Speaking of UPS, I currently work there (also as a sorter) and that is another example of a place that is extremely desperate. Their threats that they made to you were completely unfounded. I've seen countless people come and go, along with loads of people that come and go as they please. It is almost impossible to get fired because, as you know, that job is horrible and they are desperately in need of people. Plus the Teamsters Union. As sad as it is to say, as long as you don't do anything horribly unsafe, physically attack anybody, or steal something, you aren't getting fired there.

Quincy - Also, not sure where you got the idea that I told them that. I didn't, obviously. As I stated, I politely decline their offer. Though they do lie in their advertising, which they obviously know. That place has a horrible reputation, the worst in the county, and despite paying more than anybody else, they can't get or keep people. Hence the need to lie...

Apparently your attitude toward the company was heard louder than your spoken words.

Good luck with your job search.

 

[NewNeedInfo]

Doubt it, I was in the room for maybe 2 minutes with them. They walked in, introduced themselves, told me that everything they said was a lie (not in those words, obviously) and asked if that was going to be okay and I said "No thanks, that isn't what I'm looking for." and we went our separate ways. They seemed to understand as I'm sure they are used to that. How many people would go for that?

As for being a lawsuit risk, the only lawsuit risk I could see would be the scar on my head from brain surgery, maybe they thought I'd sue for disability or discrimination or something, but I doubt I could sue for false advertising in a job ad, not that I've ever sued anybody before or know anything about how that works lol. You make a lot of assumptions, Quincy, is that something you always do? Are you a lawyer and is that a lawyer thing or just a Quincy thing? :/

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

CBG - What is blacklisting then? From my understanding and what I've seen online, it is an employer trying to prevent you from getting work...

If you end that sentence with "... at other employers." it would be closer to correct. If a number of employers in an industry conspire to blacklist you that would be illegal.

 

[NewNeedInfo]

PayrollHRGuy - Thanks, and that is interesting because the reason she thought that is illegal is because she also works for the county (in a different place altogether) and they have this guy that got blacklisted basically who they will never hire, but she said that her managers have to interview him all the time even though they know they'll never ever hire him.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

Now you are talking about a government entity that may be under all sorts of completely different laws, rules or regulations.

 

[cbg]

If they were trying to prevent you from finding work from other employers, that would be blacklisting. This is not.

Unless there is something specific to the county in which she works, there is absolutely no reason your wife's managers have to interview the guy you're talking about. No one is owed an interview for any job.

 

[NewNeedInfo]

PayrollHRGuy - Both places would be under the same I should imagine. The place that I applied to is the county nursing home, the place that she works at is the Office of Aging.

cbg - Do you know how I could find out if that is specific to our county?

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

PayrollHRGuy - Both places would be under the same I should imagine. The place that I applied to is the county nursing home, the place that she works at is the Office of Aging.

But in this case it is the same agency and the same location.