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Original poster

Job rejection - potential discrimination.

19 replies

catmando2222222 · 12/02/2021 12:49

(name changed as very outing) Please bear with me - I'll explain the best I can!
I worked at a company for 3 and a half years until 2013. In that time I was employed at, say level 2. Then for the last 6 months I was seconded to level 3. It was a very competitive secondment (over 20 people applied). the month before I left I also won a company-wide (large national company) award. So no problems with my works and they obviously agreed.

Now in the last few months I was there I had quite a sustained period of sexual harrassement from a senior member of staff. Not my immediate manager but senior to me and responsible for signing off my work. He was 10 years older than me, would arrange overnight trips away and follow me to my hotel room saying he wantd to leave his wife for me, showed up at my house at 7am one morning, would follow me in the lift, kitchen etc. At the time I made my team manager aware of this, she basically said that people had noticed but not much would be done as the overall Regional manager was very good friends with this man and 'felt sorry for him'.

So I left... there were other reasons as well, but this was a big factor.

So roll on to now. I lost my job at the beginning of lockdown, and saw that my old company were advertising. Brilliant. They had over 20 positions a available spread across my initial lever 2, and also the higher level 3. I was contacted by the company (HO in different location to the office I'd be based at) and encouraged to apply. I had a telephone interview on the thursday and was told I'd be contacted on the friday to arrange the next stage technical test.

I never heard off the again. I've chased and chased for feedback and finally got it today:

'I can see that you cane across very well during your telephone interview and we forwarded your details for review to the hiring manager.... they felt there were other candidates which matched their requirements more closely'.

I DID THE JOB FOR 3 YEARS AND YOU PROMOTED ME!

I can't help but think this has gone back to the local office who've advised against / classed me as a trouble maker for raising the complaint of sexual harassment just before I left. The man in question no longer works there but the regional manager who is his close friend still is.

There's nothing I can do bout this is there? Is it worth somehow trying to clarify the 'feedback' ?

OP posts:
Original poster
catmando2222222 · 12/02/2021 12:51

Apologies for typos!

OP posts:
Original poster
catmando2222222 · 12/02/2021 12:52

Just to add as well, that it's a very specific job role which limited number of people would have had much experience in.

OP posts:
ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 12/02/2021 12:52

If the RM is willing to block your appointment then you can be damn sure he would have made your life hell if you had got the job.
It’s shit but almost impossible to prove.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Jobs
Original poster
catmando2222222 · 12/02/2021 12:55

@ChazsBrilliantAttitude

If the RM is willing to block your appointment then you can be damn sure he would have made your life hell if you had got the job. It’s shit but almost impossible to prove.
I know. Im so annoyed with myself that I let them get away with it first time round, and now again...
OP posts:
Original poster
catmando2222222 · 12/02/2021 13:22

Just a little bump to see if anyone has any other perspectives / suggestions.
Would I be able to request the interview notes for example under GDPR?

OP posts:
ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 12/02/2021 17:43

You can request them via a DSAR but for what purpose?
What do you hope to achieve?

ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/your-right-to-get-copies-of-your-data/

It won’t get you the job.

Twizbe · 12/02/2021 17:57

@catmando2222222

Just a little bump to see if anyone has any other perspectives / suggestions. Would I be able to request the interview notes for example under GDPR?
You can request anything that has been written down about you.

You need to do so in writing. They can black out any sensitive information relating to a third person though (e.g if your notes are on the same document as another candidate's)

Having this information out of context might not help though. You won't know who else applied / was interviewed.

You said you did the job in 2013 which was a long time ago. As a hiring manager I'd want someone with more recent experience.

Dozer · 12/02/2021 18:00

V little point in pursuing this IMO.

TitsOot4Xmas · 12/02/2021 18:02

You can request anything that has been written down about you.

Not quite. References are excluded, some other things might be.

OP - there is an Employment Board that would wb better suited to this.

For what it’s worth, I can’t see a protected characteristic that could give rise to a potential legal claim. You haven’t worked there since 2013 and recruitment is all about discriminating between candidates (legally, of course).

You can request the notes from your interview but nobody else’s.

Flickoffboris · 12/02/2021 18:07

Why would you even want to work there? Seems crazy to me that they treated you so badly and you want to go back, presumably to more of the same

evouk · 12/02/2021 18:10

I've been back to a job before and I wouldn't do it again. It's best to move on

Brunt0n · 12/02/2021 18:12

Why on earth would you want to go back there?
That’s hardly going to make them likely to take your complaints about the man seriously. You should have taken it further at the time. Now you need to move on

coldemortreturns · 12/02/2021 18:30

Devils advocate- people are saying that OP needs to move on and not consider sexual harassment/ being labelled a trouble maker for raising a complaint about sexual harassment Hmm
Agree not to go back, but ignoring it? Not sure what answer is but a bit wow at the responses

Brunt0n · 12/02/2021 18:31

@coldemortreturns

Devils advocate- people are saying that OP needs to move on and not consider sexual harassment/ being labelled a trouble maker for raising a complaint about sexual harassment Hmm Agree not to go back, but ignoring it? Not sure what answer is but a bit wow at the responses
The time to do something about it was back then!
TitsOot4Xmas · 12/02/2021 18:32

Did the OP raise a complaint? That’s not how I read it.

RevolutionRadio · 12/02/2021 18:57

You can ask for information but it wouldn't change their decision and they may think that you are trying to cause trouble.

Did you actually do anything about the harassment at the time?

Violetroselily · 12/02/2021 20:07

Is it really a specific role if they're filling 20 positions...?

Also, you left 8 years ago - thats hardly recent. The role and organisation may well have moved on since then so your historic experience there isn't necessarily a big call out amongst a pool of candidates

IAmongstTheWorld · 12/02/2021 20:15

No point pursuing it.

Just because you did the job doesn't mean you were the best at the job - many people are job hunting at the moment, competition is fierce.

PegasusReturns · 12/02/2021 20:21

Agree not to go back, but ignoring it? Not sure what answer is but a bit wow at the responses

What do you suggest the OP do?

This is the sort of thing I’ve seen people tie themselves in knots over - you won’t get anywhere pursuing it, how could you? But you will destroy your well-being.

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