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Is there a way for a potential employer to verify my current experience without endangering my job? Is there a way to get around this requirement? I am employed by a temp agency, and I'm more than a year into a "one or more years" contract which has no natural end. The new company is a public entity, so its HR requirements may be stricter.

Background

I'm well into talks with a new company (call it Beetle), who is preparing to make an offer. However, I want to ensure that I don't loose my current job in the meantime, as even after I accept the (potential) offer, I'll have to wait about a month for their board to approve the hire before I can start.

I'm concerned that when Beetle's HR department reaches out to my current employer (call it Seagull) to verify employment, that will alert them to my decision to leave, and they may take preemptive action, possibly firing me.

I don't have a work history, so Beetle has told me that they must verify my current employment before they can officially make an offer; and once they do, I have to wait a month to start.

Seagull is a recruiting firm; I am employed by them, but actually doing work for a different company (call it Llama). My contract was for a one year period, but it has expired, and I have been continuing to work without a new contract or formal arrangement for continuing.

This sort of open-ended contract is rare for Seagull, but it certainly works in their favor; meanwhile, Llama would like to retain my services indefinitely, without actually assuming the risk of employing me.

I am on good terms with my supervisor at Llama; however, I expect Seagull to react strongly in whatever they perceive as their best interest, and I'm not really sure what that would be.

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    Is a pay stub good enough?
    – paparazzo
    Commented Sep 23, 2016 at 23:52
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    I assume not, or HR would have mentioned it. (I asked them not to contact my current employer.) I'll check, since I have a copy of every pay stub, ever.
    – V6MoFLorAvaoLZLkAbNC8UFPm2ALeL
    Commented Sep 24, 2016 at 0:00
  • I believe they want to verify my job title as much as anything else. HR told me that the amount of an offer is highly regulated, because it's a public entity.
    – V6MoFLorAvaoLZLkAbNC8UFPm2ALeL
    Commented Sep 24, 2016 at 0:22
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    That is silly. Title has a range of salary. You pay stub has you salary.
    – paparazzo
    Commented Sep 24, 2016 at 0:24
  • But why (hypothetically and playing devil's advocate) am I out looking for another job if I like the number on my pay stub?
    – Craig Tullis
    Commented Sep 24, 2016 at 17:34

2 Answers 2

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Many companies have a service that folks can call -- with a passcode given to them by the employee -- to verify employment. This is common when applying for loans, for example, so there isn't an immediate rush to judgement that you are job-hunting. Ask your HR department what procedure they use.

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    Some HR departments will also give you a signed letter affirming that you were employed by [company] as of [date].
    – Kevin
    Commented Sep 24, 2016 at 5:27
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Can they make you a conditional job offer? They give you a written letter stating that they offer you the job subject to confirmation of your current job title? Obviously you'll have to make sure the wording is suitably tight. If the worst comes to the worst and you are fired by Seagull, Llama may be happy to take you on for a short term contract until your new job starts.

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