Fake reference for a bully colleague

[Chester1980]

A colleague is leaving the company for a high and senior paid job. This person was a bully to graduates and quite frankly a fraud. I am surprised they didn’t get sacked. They didn’t work their contracted hours, would pressure people to work for free, would charge their own transport costs to the job etc. I stood up to this person numerous times. I hate seeing a bully get ahead.

I know that a colleague in a different department did a reference for this person because no one in our department would give them a reference as they are so awful. Would you flag that up with their new company? I don’t want the person who wrote the reference to get in trouble.

Why would you? That person will then stay there. Just let them leave and be free of them.

And of course the other person would get into trouble, so don't do it.

No, unless you are somehow involved in the recruitment process or a reference gas been sought by the new company from you, then I'd stay out of it.

He's leaving the company now so you won't have to deal with him anymore. Maybe the next company will be better able to manage him.

The colleague who gave him the reference did so of their own accord, so if there's any comeback if will be lesson learned for them.

Fair enough. I know that my company would never have him back now he’s handed in his notice. I definitely don’t want to get the other person in trouble.

No. In what way is the reference false? If the person who gave it is not authorised to do so on the employer's behalf, that's a matter for your employer.

You don't know what the reference said; it could be purely factual.

I hope the new company see straight through him. It’s so frustrating when people who treat their team so badly get ahead. It’s like honesty doesn’t get rewarded.

IME, that kind of people just gets getting better and better jobs because the employer is happy to write a good reference to be able to get rid of them.

You will find him in ten years in a highly paid inexplicable job with the word “director” next to their name.

@idiotindisguise exactly! The level of incompetence of him is frightening though. He will ask you how to do something...and then write you an email explaining what to do, and copy in senior people. Horrible individual. V manipulative too. I once called him out for something and he was doing wrong and he told me how he needed this job for his kids....I have a kid too, and I am fed up of having to work extra to cover his mistakes.

Ah have you never heard the adage 'hoist by his own petard'? This guy will get found out. If your company didn't get him, another will. Just be happy in the knowledge you don't have to work with the prick anymore!

@bobbinthreadbare123 spot on! I will be very happy to not work with the prick anymore :D

I wouldn't, hopefully the new employer will be stronger than the current and sack him anyway.

Be glad to see the back of him

If you feel that strongly about it you could create a new email address and anonymously email their careers department from a public computer. I'd just stick to widely known facts and nothing that he would know came from you - they may dismiss it but they may also just keep an eye on his behaviour which means he would be more likely to be caught out.

But personally I'd let it go.

In what way is the reference fake? Most references are just tick boxes to confirm dates of employment now.

One of my first managers was like that and basically used another contact to fake a character reference out of the company before he was pushed out. He then stayed for 7 years in that company before law and behold he was pushed out again for the same behaviour and tried to return - but he couldn’t get a character reference from that company and so didn’t pass his probationary period.

Did they not really work together then & that's why you think that the reference is fake?

Or do you know that it is?

Would he have been offered the new job without a reference?

There is a saying in my native language: "If your enemy wants to go away, build a silver bridge for him to make his leaving easier". He's going, why would you want to give him a fake reference which might prevent him from leaving?

Firstly they will probably just mark you down as jealous or a trouble maker. Secondly they might tell the man (or he coukd demand to see his file under a subject access request) and then you coukd have a defamation case on your hands.

When you say nobody in your department would give him a reference, surely his line manager would be the rightful person, not just anyone in the department.

And a new organisation would surely ask in what capacity the reference is given...i.e. by someone who managed him, not just any employee in the organisation.

Sadly, I do know ppl like him, but none of the individuals he bullies are brave enough to put in a formal complaint about it.

Instead they tell me and I'm told it's all in confidence, just so I know what he's really like (as he's nice to me) so I'm stuck and can't do anything about it.

Lots of companies will only give basic references that confirm that the person was an employee there between x and y as a matter of policy. It may well be that is the case here.

Be glad he’s leaving and feel sorry for the poor sods who will be stuck with him.

Sadly, incompetent types are often promoted upwards.
Look at Boris Johnson as a prime example of a serial incompetent being promoted way beyond his abilities.

You guys are right. I think just be happy he’s gone and hope that no other poor sod has to deal with him. If so, that they deal with it appropriately.

To clarify, I saw the fake reference as him not asking anyone he works with. He did not work on any projects with this other person. I don’t know if it’s one of those references that just confirms dates etc. This guy is so brazen, his LinkedIn is a complete lie for what he said he does.

P.s thank you for your responses :)