Job offer withdrawn 🥺

maria22
maria22 Online Community Member Posts: 1 Listener
edited July 2022 in Work
Hi, can anyone help or offer any advice. Sorry if the post is long 🤦🏼‍♀️
So I was successful in getting my dream job as a teaching assistant in my dream school. Was offered the job verbally pending dbs and references.this was a month ago. I put two references my most recent deputy head and my previous deputy head. (I didn't put the actual head teacher as a reference because she has treated me very unfairly and made it clear that for whatever reason she didn't like me) she's actually the reason I left. Anyway my references just weren't getting back to hr of my new job offer. I chased them both up several times to be told by one that they hadn't received it and ask them to resend and the other reference apologized and said they have been so busy and would send it as soon as they could. I was constantly emailing my new potential employer and apologizing for the delay. Roll on to the day the school break up and I get a phone call to say that unfortunately the job offer has been withdrawn due to unsatisfactory references and that I would receive a letter explaining why 🥺 I'm absolutely devastated. I messaged my references and asked if they sent them and one replied saying they hadn't received them and the other said he was so sorry he had forgotten to 😩 he then emailed me to say he's sent it and gave me a good reference and apologized for the delay to hr. I'm absolutely devastated. The withdrawal is because of unsatisfactory references could this be because they didn't actually receive the references or because they have spoken to the head teacher and she's given the reference instead? Can she give a bad reference? And without my permission to be a reference. I have no clue what to do next and I will be fighting this in any way I can because this just seems so unfair. I've never received unsatisfactory references and I'm just wondering if this has happened to anyone else and can it be resolved? Any help or advice is appreciated thank you 

Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    It's not true that a former employer can't give a bad reference. Providing it's accurate and fair they can do this. https://www.acas.org.uk/providing-a-job-reference/if-you-get-a-bad-reference
    If the reference was sent and it wasn't accurate then yes you have rights to challenge that. You can speak to the new employer to ask what the reference contained and even ask to see it.
    There's more information provided in the link above.

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    woodbine said:
    Appologies as I said it was my understanding, nothing more nothing less. :|
    No worries. I always thought the same until my daughter told me a couple of years ago I was wrong. 
  • janer1967
    janer1967 Online Community Member Posts: 21,922 Championing
    Hi and welcome 

    Poppy is correct am employer can give a bad reference as long as based on fact and they took action about the issue eg if they say youhave bad absence then they should have written records of discussions with you 

    It could be simply that they were not returned on time as this could also be an indication of them not wanting to submit a reference 

    It isn't always the person named as the ref that supplies it as long as its someone within the organisation and its based on fact 

    Not a lot you can do as the offer was subject to receipt of satisfactory references 

    You can wait and see what the letter says from the new school to say if there are any more details 

    Usually when ref are not sent in time they will contact you for alternative 

    It may also be worth you checking out acas website for further advice 
  • Alex_Alumni
    Alex_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,538 Championing
    Hello and welcome @maria22 I'm so sorry to read about what's happened, that's awful news, and so upsetting for you. 

    As has been suggested by our members I would encourage you to contact ACAS to find some support and advice if needed, and hopefully the letter can provide you with more details too.

    In the meantime, please feel free to have a look around the forum. You can browse different discussions on our categories page, or visit the coffee lounge to chat to other members and play games. There's plenty to get involved with.

    Let us know how things go and we'll do our best to support you. Fingers crossed it can be resolved, otherwise we can help you move onwards and upwards to something new :)

    Alex 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    ExpertByExperience said:
    I'm not 100% certain but my understanding is that it's actually ILLEGAL for a company to give a bad reference.

    That's incorrect. Please read the advice already given including links posted before commenting.

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