Refused me job ..aibu to feel like giving up?

[reddeadalive]

I'm 33 and my job history is mainly customer service.
In the last 11 years my mum had cancer and has passed away in September.
I kept taking breaks in my employment to look after her.
My last job was 2016
I applied for a call centre and got offered the job.
Told them my previous history but couldn't remember exact dates.
They did a Experian employment check and refused the offer.
Saying there were too many gaps in my employment.
I feel really really low.
In a ideal world my mum wouldn't have been ill and I wouldn't have had to keep leaving jobs.
Will I ever get a job again ?

@SchrodingersImmigrant

Experian employment check

The what.👀 there is absolutely nothing about my employment there. There is no way they can have this data on me

You would be amazed at what information is out there about you. Many of these checks are actually confirmation checks on information that you have given, combined with a scoring mechanism against it. But actually, if you had any idea what information is held about you by so many companies, and shared - and even the fact that you have often been the source of that information even when you think you haven't - then be prepared for a shock if anyone does a search on you. Experian holds a shocking amount of data about people.

@ConquestEmpireHungerPlague employers have been checking references for hundreds of years. At one point not having a reference from a previous job stopped you even getting an interview. The ultimate sanction was to be dismissed without a reference.

No decent employer would let a person into their company without a reference check. That would be crazy risky, whether they are min wage or not.

I'm going to sit down tonight and try and write down as accurately as possible all the dates including college /volunteering etc etc

I had tonhave a reference for waitressing job in a hotel just iver a decade ago. 2 references. It was fun because one was back in my native country and they didn't speak English and company here didn't speak the other language😂

Hi OP, HR person here.

Call centres are notoriously bastards to work for (on the whole).

You told them your gaps were for caring for someone with cancer, and they have specifically said they have withdrawn the offer because of those gaps.

A person with cancer is disabled. There is such a thing as discrimination by association. (A connection to a person with a protected characteristic). You have nothing to lose by ringing their HR department and telling them how disappointed you are to have your offer withdrawn solely because of your prior connection to a person with disabilities. See if that gets your offer reinstated.

@reddeadalive Congratulations- you got the offer. That is way better than a lot of people are doing at the moment. You're obviously employable. Sort out your CV so the dates match reality and you'll be in a much stronger position for the next job.

Regarding the discussion on accessing information - the company does need your permission to undertake these checks, but denying access will likely remove you from the process. They do cost money, so most companies only do it for applicants who are likely to receive a firm offer of employment.

Regarding gaps and mismatched dates - massive red flag in recruitment. It's either a mistake or it's a deliberate cover up. In a competitive jobs market, most recruiters will not spend the time trying to decipher what's correct. It will go in the trash pile.

@reddeadalive

I'm going to sit down tonight and try and write down as accurately as possible all the dates including college /volunteering etc etc

Have you got p45s? Exam papers, anything. If in doubt, contact the company/college. You are just 33 so it's not that much to put together. You eill be fine once you sort it.

Not for a minimum wage call centre job, no, no way, that would have been a casual job that people would have done in between other jobs, while travelling, fitted around acting auditions etc.

But all these pre-employment checks also go hand-in-hand with things like employment contracts, holiday pay, sick leave, maternity pay etc. - the reason things have tightened up when it comes to hiring people is because employers have much more responsibility now.

@DressingGownofDoom

Oh crikey! I didn't even know employment checks existed! Yes you will. There will be an understanding employer out there, I actually think it's really very callous of the call centre to do that and they're not the kind of employer you want to work for anyway OP

They absolutely do check in financial services.

Any hint of lying/deception and the offer will be withdrawn/individual fired.

We had someone in my last place who had been fired twice previously. He said he had been made redundant. When the checks came back the manager wanted him fired. Whilst he couldn’t stay, i couldn’t in all conscience do it (he was a good worker) so paused just before the dismissal and let him resign instead, so he had a chance of future employment.

I’m pretty sure that even three decades ago prospective employers took up references and verified employment dates

Not for all jobs perhaps, but yes they did

(God, was I really in recruitment that long?? )

@reddeadalive

I'm going to sit down tonight and try and write down as accurately as possible all the dates including college /volunteering etc etc

Excellent idea.

Get that sorted and you'll be in a much better position for that next offer.

@LaughingStock2021

If you think minimum wage is too low, that's fine, but it's got nothing to do with the situation at hand.

Conversations can evolve and context is important, the context here is that a large business take for granted that they can pay shite wages while availing of every business protection for themselves. It is important that we are aware just how fucked over we are.

I don't really understand your argument - you think that because they don't pay enough (and MILLIONS of people, including key workers, earn the minimum wage), they're not entitled to do employment checks on people?

No - as I said above, it's the imbalance in the situation that angers me. Happy to avail of every advantage and protective measure for themselves while shafting the people that work for them and expecting nobody to question it.

Performing checks on people you want to employ is a reasonable request, in and of itself.

They’re actually protecting their customers.....

A bit like when we DBS check doctors and nurses, you know. For fun.

Thats really rubbish op. I don't understand why it is seen as an attribute to never have a gap in employment as if we are just there to be worker bees for someone else. You will find another job

They also did a CRB check on me too

@reddeadalive

They also did a CRB check on me too

That's understandable tbh.

Your problem aren't the checks. It's you not being surea bout dates. Sort that and you will get the next one. Obviously you are employable since you had an offer so take that and go and get some ither offers😁

I'm going to sit down tonight and try and write down as accurately as possible all the dates including college /volunteering etc etc

Sounds like a great move - well done for that

And a CRB check's absolutely standard, so no need to give that one a second thought

That really sucks OP and I’m sure you will get something else, just probably need to specify dates next time even with gaps and the ‘why’ which seems perfectly understandable.

For the record though, Experian can and fo conduct employment checks.

Oh gosh I’m sorry that’s completely crap. Employers do a background check most of the time. My current employer wanted a 5 year history from me. Now I hadn’t worked from 2018 to December 2019 due to being ill but I explained and showed proof and their were fine. I hope you can sort it

If it helps, OP, I have what I call ‘generic CV’ which is a document I save in a few places. It has all my work experience, training courses etc which now I’m aged 50 plus, are numerous and I simply don’t remember. I have the dates (month/year) of all jobs. When I want to apply for something, that is my starting poin5. It’s been with me forever so I know it’s accurate.

@reddeadalive

They also did a CRB check on me too

They will have run a basic DBS check.

CRB hasn't existed since 2012. A basic DBS check is purely a list of your current, unspent criminal convictions and cautions. It's standard for a whole host of roles.

they could have asked you during the interview?
but yes you do need to fill in the gaps.

I have committed MN crime and not RTFT so unsure if it has been mentioned, but you can access your records of employment via HMRC website. You can view you tax and NI contributions along with the employers name and when it was paid, so this should help you find out your dates of employment. I have used this in the past when companies have been slow to respond to a reference request, but obviously it depends on the employer and whether they will accept it as an alternative.

I’m surprised they rejected based on this if you were upfront about being unsure of the dates, but I suppose if you (unintentionally) made the gaps seem a lot shorter than they actually were then it is understandable.

I know you have mentioned your credit isn’t perfect, do you have any arrears or similar? I know of people being rejected for credit issues, for call centre jobs because of access to customers card details etc.

No I think my credit is ok.
I have 1 default off years ago now.
What's next not getting a job in McDonald's if your late paying your credit card.
I could understand if someone had been in jail for fraud but missed payments etc is a bit ridiculous

[quote donewithitalltodayandxmas]@vanillandhoney Doesn't data protection act stop you holding into info for years now tbough[/quote]
Yes but it doesn't have to be an all or nothing. Employers would found it hard to argue that it was justified to hold onto medical recrords, appraisal details, bank details once someone has left, their last salary has been paid and their P45 issued.

That's different from keeping a list saying "Susan Brown, DOB 1/1/81, accounts clerk May 99 - Feb 03, accounts team leader March 03 - June 12".

You will get something!
Get your dates in order, put in your CV and be up front
Mine goes back 20 years and even explains a few month gap with precise dates