Job history

[ElizaBenson]

Hi, Ive been looking into adoption and one of the agencies I found said they would request 10 years worth of job references, is this normal? With the area I live in having been hit so badly by the recession and its after effects I dont think I could provide that. There is a company which doesnt exist any more and I dont have any details for the people who did own it (tiny company) and a few years before that my manager was a sleazeball who was fairly inappropriate and I dont really want my life involved with his again in any way, but again small company so it would be inevitable he would get the request. 10 years seems a long time, is this standard?

We had to give our current jobs for references but I think if we hadn't been there for long (4 years, 6 years) we would have had to give previous employer too. 10 years seems excessive to me.

We had to give our entire work history I think, but they only got references from our current employers. They are not going to contact them all! But they sound like valid reasons that a social worker would understand, I can't see it causing a problem at all. No one ever got turned away from adopting because a previous employer went bust and your social worker will understand about sleazy former boss too.

We had to give our full employment history, but they are only getting references from my husbands current employers (he's been in both roles for 4 years), and will get something from my Accountant as I have my own business (which has been going for 2.5 years). They didn't mention getting anything before that though.

Sorry, we did give a full job history, it was just the references that were for our current jobs only.

We gave full job history but only references for current workplaces.

It's not your fault the company folded. Just give an hones account of your work history and the facts you know. IMHO they are unlikely to chase a reference from 5 years ago if your current employer can give one.

Don;t be put off by this, they will understand if you changed job, especailly if it is due to things like redundancy, or chasing a job with more money.

The only concern would be if someone left a job due to bad behavior (sacked for some serious issue etc) but even then the person would be best to tell the truth and their side of it all.

Two of my previous companies, I worked for, folded - but nothing to do with me, honest!

Was chatting to my OH about this tonight, and they're actually getting references from his previous two jobs too, BUT this is only because he's worked with children and vulnerable people.
I think if you've worked with children in your job they will ask that employer for a reference (if it's not your current one), and if not (like me) they won't.

Okay thank you for all your replies, that makes me less concerned, I did actually work with children years ago so I have no issues with them asking for references from far back if necessary I was just woried about those two jobs