interview help

[finderskeypers]

Will try and be brief but here's the background.

Had a meeting with boss last week and was advised that my contract is going to end as my family-friendly flexi WFH is no longer working for them and they only want men people in office FT. I said I could work in the office FT if needed and they said they don't have the room but they will furlough me for 2 months to 'help me out'. I've spoken to ACAS who, having heard the whole long, boring story, think they are potentially acting illegally re dismissal and would help me take it further should I wish.

Anyway, on to my AIBU... I have a 2nd interview on Monday, yay! But I'm not sure what I should say about my reason for leaving. I was looking for jobs before this meeting and had legitimate, interview friendly reasons, which I gave in my first interview. But now, if asked again (different team interviewing me) I'm not sure if I should say I've since been told I'm being furloughed or just stick with my original reasons.

I'm worried that telling them about the furlough will open a can or worms but at the same time, don't want to get to reference stage and they think I'm a liar. To further complicate it, I guess I won't technically be 'dismissed' until the end of the furlough in May - the best solution would be for me to be able to hand my notice in before I get written notice of contract ending but I don't know how long this job application process is likely to take.

I also can't rely on my employers acting legally in terms of references etc - they have been pretty vindictave to previous colleagues and seem to make up employment law as they go along.

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

You were already jobhunting before this happened so your existing reasons are truthful and legitimate. The fact that additionally your current employers turn out to be discriminatory arseholes is not relevant to the recruitment process and not really any business for the potential new employers to even know about. When the time comes that you need to notify your current employers that you need a reference (hopefully when you have a conditional job offer subject to references) then you can say honestly "I applied for this job weeks before you mentioned I wouldn't be needed here much longer, so if they ask you about my reason for leaving it is more t do with career development rather than that". You don't have to challenge their discriminatory arseholeness. Remember that they will also need to be the second reference for the next job you apply for after this. It is not your responsibility to fix all that is wrong with the world

I've never been asked by an employer why I'm handing in my notice or been asked why I want to leave my current job by an interviewer!

If you are asked at interview - just say you want more development opportunities. If your current work ask - which I doubt as they a fully aware they are pushing you out - just say you need more stability.

I'd be amazed if either ask you - don't worry about it.

Good luck with your interview - I hope you get it!

Just tell them your contract is ending and that you are therefore looking for work elsewhere. It's not like you are being fired, it's just that your WFH contract is no longer suitable and there isn't room in the office for you. If you are on a fixed-term contract it will just not be renewed, if you are an employee it is effectively redundancy. Either way, it's not a problem a future employer will worry about.

Don't mention that you are thinking of suing them though. That will be a massive red flag - no prospective employer will hire someone with a track record for taking their employer to court.