OT- May we contact your employer?

Put a big fat NO.

You can say ONLY after a job offer is on the table.

Depending on, most employers (at least larger ones) are fairly useless to contact anyhow. Legal won't allow them to say much more than "yes, he worked (or works) here", and the dates of said employment.

JW

You can be fired for all sorts of things unless you have a contract. Then there is still all sorts of things left.

As far as employers, past ones, fine. Current, are they nutz?

Wes

-- "Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller

Their online application form is kind of generic, they have work history "most recent employer", "start date", "end date", "may we contact this employer" with check buttons YES or NO. The end date of your most recent job could be a year ago and in that case I wouldn't mind them contacting that employer. If they were going to offer me a job I wouldn't mind them contacting my current employer but I would like my current employer to hear the news from me first.

RogerN

What was Jesus' advice? Why are you asking us?

Jesus said to ask rec.crafts.metalworking.

RogerN

I've always said no unless my boss knew I was looking and he was a stand-up guy.

The only safe answer is No, or a compromise "Not until a job offer has been made and accepted." Your current employer is not supposed to use this as an excuse to fire you...

But they also aren't allowed to fire older people to cut their wage overhead, or to reduce their healthcare costs because premiums on older workers are higher, or fire people for trumped-up "cause" a month before their 10-year Pension Vesting anniversary to save from placing all that money in the pension fund. Or to create a vacancy for hiring their Brother-In-Law.

Doesn't stop them. You have to fight it after the fact, and it's an uphill battle if they are really good liars with expensive lawyers.

-->--

It's one of those damn Catch 22's. If you say no, they are suspicious. If you say yes, you better be on pretty good ground if they call your present employer. Surprised someone hasn't sued them over the practice before now. Maybe you could be a test case.

Steve

Yeah, I know what you mean, I'm not trying to hide anything and my current employer is pleased with me, but I don't want them to be notified that I'm applying for a position elsewhere by another company. My choice would be that they would make me an offer, I would accept, they can call my employer and if they find I lied about my employment then they could withdraw the offer. That way I could alert my boss of the offer and notify that they will or may be getting a call from the future employer.

Anyway, I selected NO because my "previous employer" is my current employer and at times they have let people go just for looking for another job. Some people have gave 2 weeks notice and the company has had a guard walk them out of the plant right then. It depends on the person, I don't plan to burn any bridges.

RogerN

I have always said No, and this caused no trouble. Prospective employers have always understood why.

Well, with one exception, and it was good to flush him out into the open before considering taking a job there. Some employers are best avoided.

Joe Gwinn