I found out my employer has a policy of failing to confirm employment so employees have a harder time leaving. How should I proceed in my job search?

Question

My employer is a state-level (Ohio, United States of America) government contractor with a couple dozen employees. We have extremely rigorous standards that are defined by the state and our performance is reviewed regularly. Any deviation from standards is taken pretty seriously, but the owner-contractor is an individual person who handles all H.R. matters themselves. The job has a problem with retention due to our duties being absurdly micromanaged by government overseers. (About 80% of new hires either quit or are fired within two weeks.)

I've spoken to former employees who found out the owner either (1) won't confirm employment, or (2) claims the former employees are not re-hirable while repeatedly offering the same staff their jobs back.

I am in the middle of looking for a new job and can ask my employer not be contacted, but am worried how this will go next time I switch jobs. Advice on dealing with this is appreciated.

Answer 1

One particular comment from your question is concerning:

The job has a problem with retention due to our duties being absurdly micromanaged by government overseers. (About 80% of new hires either quit or are fired within two weeks.)

That means either the company isn't sending quality employees, or the government customers is not a good customer. Either way the situation can't continue for long. The management of the customer will soon notice the poor performance of the contract and will investigate. That could bring the contract to an end. It could also end the company if that contract is most of their business.

The rumored misinformation given to people performing background checks can be an issue. Many large companies outsource the task of confirming dates of employment for former employees. That service just provides dates of employment, maybe job title, and very little else.

But because "The owner is an individual person who handles all H.R. matters themselves." you can run into an issue where they see no problem either providing inaccurate information, or no information at all.

Leaving this company shouldn't be a problem, because most companies realize that your current boss has a vested interest in either embellishing their praise or minimizing their praise. You are correct the next transition will be harder, because the newest employer has no reason to doubt the comments from the company.

My advice would not to be overly concerned about it. Document what your can about your performance. Document your starting end ending dates from company supplied documents: the offer letter, the welcome packet, any exit documents. Pay stubs and tax forms are also helpful.

The background checks that I have participated in have always allowed potential employees to explain/prove missing information. A company that won't confirm dates is easy to overcome. Claiming you wouldn't be rehired implies either extremely bad performance or committing a fireable offense. You documentation should also be able to overcome that.

Answer 2

but am worried how this will go next time I switch jobs.

Don't worry about it until you have to. There is nothing easy you can do to force the owner to do anything, but interviewers take your history as a whole, not hinge everything on one disgruntled employer. In the same vein as they take glowing references with a grain of salt in many locales.

So best policy is cross the bridge when you must and usually it turns out to be just a quick step.

Answer 3

...claims the former employees are not re-hirable while repeatedly offering the same staff their jobs back.

If you can get him to do that in writing, that's your solution to the problem.

In the meantime, you'll want to save your own proof you worked there (like paystubs as suggested by L.Dutch) and, if possible, proof you were doing a good job: performance reviews, praise from the government entities you're working with, references from your co-workers, etc.

Because you'll have at least one job between this potential incorrect reference and your next job search, hopefully you won't even need this. But I think having some kind of proof that you were a good employee would be helpful just in case you discover you actually are having trouble getting past background checks.