To ask you for hand holding and soothing noises?

[COCKadoodledooo]

Posted in going back to work too.

Oh holy fuck, what a cock up!

Gave my line manager's details (including wrong phone number blush) on the application form. Just had a call from potential new employer's HR (interview Wednesday) that email has bounced, presume he no longer works there. Had heard he was thinking of leaving, but it's 4 years since I left the place so am out of touch.

Will this go against me?! Should I have checked he was still there? I mean, I presumed I'd get a standard ref from my old HR dept (big company) so it wouldn't matter.

Gave line manager's manager's email, and just had another call to say that too has bounced. Wtf do I do? Have given a general number for the office (all I now have) and will try to get hold of the one colleague I know is def still there (but is prob not speaking to me because I turned down his amorous advances hmm), but seriously will this count against me? Will they think I'm really daffy and too crap to employ?

Am I, in short, fucked?

[purplepidjin]

I don't reckon that your manager having left after 4 years is unreasonable.

Have a look on the company website and give the name of someone in hr. They will at least be able to confirm you worked there when you said you did

I don't think you're fucked - they're interested enough to take up references!

[onebigchocolatemess]

No worries at all, just explain the situation and as purple says get a main contact number for HR and pass it on. Anyone who works there now will be able to confirm your employment record.

4yrs is a long time in job changing circles. If it had been 6m's they may have been worried....