defamation

[SAKMETH]

I am located in California and I have been working for my company for 11 months now. I requested a transfer to another office close to home and after this request my current supervisor is blacklisting me. She told me she provided horrible references within the company. (I know they can do this). I received a denial for the transfer.
I started interviewing outside the company and I received 2 letters of denial for the jobs I applied. I contracted a reference company and I have a written report in which my current supervisor made false statements about me. I have proof she made a false statement.
Can I sue my supervisor and not my company?
I love working for my company and I would like to stay here.
What can I do without jeopardizing my job if anything can be done?
Thank you for your prompt response!!

 

[ALawyer]

Companies almost always take the position that the immediate supervisor's assessment controls, absent some real proof of discrimination or special circumstances. So your road is a hard one.

I would try to talk with the supervisor's manager or higher member of human resources or senior management.

Explain you love the company and would like to continue to work for it but had sought to transfer to another office and this supervisor objected and seems to have retaliated. Bring with you whatever proof you can muster to show you are a valuable employee (lack of absences, lack of lateness, customer commendations, co-worker references, etc). And be fair.

Threats, etc. only reinforce the supervisor's perspective that you are a troublemaker.

As for suing for libel, forget about it. Not only is there likely to be qualified privilege, but when then next propsective employer asks what do you think the company will say -- "I am sorry but all we can say is that she worked here because after we gave another firm our evaluation of her performance she sued us for libel." That would do it....