Hello,

I've been employed for over 10 years for a small business in a tight-knit industry in a medium sized market. Several months ago, my boss cut me from full time to part-time but the hours were still about 30 a week. In the last few months, she only provides me with 3-6 hours a week. I have started searching for other employment due to financial reasons.

I have been careful to not apply to direct competitors of our company. Last week I had a great interview and the hiring manager was going to contact some vendors that both our companies have used-the issue being some are close friends outside work with my current boss, so I was sure she was informed that this company wanted to hire me. I came in for my next shift and she screamed at me, saying that I would never get another job anywhere else. Now, the hiring manager at the new company will not return my calls. :(

I have not used her as a reference but due to the small size of the industry, word travels quickly.

Any suggestions of what I can do when applying to future positions? I have one now that I want to apply for but I am considering telling them about my boss and her behavior upfront.

I know I need to get a potential employer on the record if she said something negative but what if she is directing her friends to say negative and false things about me?

I just want a full-time fulfilling career.

First... drop the they are out to get me thing... seriously... others will see it in you and you are instantly labeled as damaged goods... not what you need. You can't hide it and people can see it in how you talk and carry yourself.

Second... you are an At- Will employee... they can do this. You never mentioned having a ironclad employement contract.. and if you had one you would know this already.

Nobody "HAS" to hire you... if the industry is that tight knit.. consider someplace your current employer ISN'T in some business relationship with. It might not be convenient... or easy... but you have to do it... your current employer can say anything they want about you as long as its true... making a stink is only going to lable you as a troublemaker and it will be you torpedoing your opportunities then.

If you start badmouthing a previous boss or company... you can all but assure that your resume won't make the screening. It happens... and its totally legal. Saw it happen many times... if right off the bat they are badmouthing their boss, the first thing we wonder is what really happened... we will talk to other people they worked with... and some of these we can simply see because its hard to hide a bad atitude from others. It will be the first thing they actually pick up on. And the first thing they think of when deciding if they want to consider you. Again, because I've been part of the interviewing pprocess and have given thumbs down to many people just for a bad gut feeling. Or knowing other people in the industry that knew them... like I said earlier... even in a not so tight knit job field the world can be a very small place. And I've run into several people I've worked with overseas in this country... and others several states away.

The problem is-whatever she is saying is FALSE-which I am pretty sure is illegal. I worked over 10 years, productive, not taking lunch breaks, taking only 4 days of vacation a year, constantly on call, etc so yes I do deserve a good reference. It is not my fault her business is failing. And by me leaving should cause no duress to her since I'm working such a small number of hours.

I haven't asked or expect anyone to feel sorry for me and I have been applying for months at other areas but what I do is highly specialized hence looking at companies that either do business with or do the same business as my current company.

I am not a troublemaker, thank you very much for your advice. Lol.



First......drop the they are out to get me thing.....seriously...others will see it in you and you are instantly labled as damaged goods....not what you need.

Second....you are an At- Will employee...they can do this. You never mentioned having a ironclad employement contract..and if you had one you would know this already.

Nobody "HAS" to hire you....if the industry is that tight knit..consider someplace your current employer ISN'T in some business relationship with. It might not be convienient...or easy...but you have to do it...your current employer can say anything they want about you as long as its true....making a stink is only going to lable you as a troublemaker and it will be you torpedoing your opportunities then.

The problem is-whatever she is saying is FALSE-which I am pretty sure is illegal. I worked over 10 years, productive, not taking lunch breaks, taking only 4 days of vacation a year, constantly on call, etc so yes I do deserve a good reference. It is not my fault her business is failing. And by me leaving should cause no duress to her since I'm working such a small number of hours.

I haven't asked or expect anyone to feel sorry for me and I have been applying for months at other areas but what I do is highly specialized hence looking at companies that either do business with or do the same business as my current company.

I am not a troublemaker, thank you very much for your advice. lol.

Remember they don't know you well... and in fact might know your employer better... and they know there are two sides to every story... you don't want to put them in the situation they will start to think about what the other one is.



It's a tough job market in a bad economy... and remember , I'm not calling you a troublemaker... I am pointing out the impression people that don't know you at all will see.

Remember the first impression is the lasting one, right or wrong.. Have you had a friend that just went through a bad breakup or is in a bitter divorce? Notice their cinicism no matter how they might try and hide it... its that sort of thing I refer to.

You have to let issues with previous employers go... at most say it wasn't working for me... otherwise people will be automatically be curious what the other side of the story is. Interviewing a person is all about getting an idea of what a person is really like in a very little time... they learn to look at small things that someone might want to hide... see personality traits that would be a problem, etc...

You might be incredible at your job... and know it very well... but if they detect a personality conflict they will not consider you. A lot of people interview and proceed to trash their previous employer... making us think how long before its us they are trashing.

Just passing along the perspective of someone who has had a share of the say in more than a few new hires.

Long story short... if you can't say something good about your previous employer , then say nothing at all... but in reality find something to put a positive spin and not have negativity. It will make a better impression of you.

I see what you're saying but in this last interview-I didn't say about my company except that my hours were cut hence my search for other employment. I didn't say anything when he told me he was going to talk to these outside vendors -even though I knew they were going to at least notify my current boss if not say something false... now I can't get a phone call back from the hiring manager... and with my boss' blow-up-its clear something negative was said. And I can't even find out what is being said.



Its a tough job market in a bad economy.....and remember , I'm not calling you a troublemaker....I am pointing out the impression people that don't know you at all will see.

Remember the first impression is the lasting one, right or wrong.. Have you had a friend that just went through a bad breakup or is in a bitter divorce? Notice their cinicism no matter how they might try and hide it...its that sort of thing I refer to.

I see what you're saying but in this last interview-I didn't say about my company except that my hours were cut hence my search for other employment. I didn't say anything when he told me he was going to talk to these outside vendors -even though I knew they were going to at least notify my current boss if not say something false...now I can't get a phone call back from the hiring manager...and with my boss' blow-up-its clear something negative was said. And I can't even find out what is being said.

And you won't... even if it involves you... its confidential. It might not even be about that at all... if you were the only candidate and decisions already made... nothing they could say would mattter. Fact is... maybe there is a better candidate out there... it happens... even in a great economy... and more likely when its bad and more people are applying. Even when you feel everything went your way during the interview... been there many times myself.

In the US you might be eligible for unemployment for having your hours cut, depending on what the terms were when you were hired. This is one case where you can quit and still collect, although you have to wait for the employer to protest or accept.
Blacklisting is always difficult to prove, as is proving that you were a good employee.

I would consult an attorney. You can subpoena the hiring manager to testify as to why the process went sour. It's a long shot, but it might work.

I would apply to direct competitors... they can't enforce a non-compete clause since they are all but laying you off... and you don't have a contract with them, you just can't take proprietary information, customer files or any client lists with you.

I've done it before... don't limit yourself from job opportunities.