To not go to the job interview because they accused me of lying

[Rabbitsea]

I had a job interview booked recently, the day before my grandma passed away. I was really close to her and i would not have been great in the interview the next day.

I emailed and called prior explaining what had happened and if possible i would like to rearrange, they agreed all was fine. Rearranged for this Wednesday, but I got a call today saying, sorry to hear about your mother in law. I said it wasn’t my mother in law it was my grandma.

5 minutes later i got a call from the woman saying i’m sure you said it was your mother in law, you said you have to support your partner. I said no it’s my grandmother i don’t even had a partner. She replied and said no you said mother in law, we have recorded calls and if we listen back and you said mother in law the interview would be off the table.

At this point i was quite irritated and I felt upset that she would imply i would lie about losing my grandma. She ended the call saying will I actually turn up to the interview if all is okay? I feel like its not a good start to begin with

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2000/2699/contents/made

It's illegal unless they notify you at the start of the call.

Don't know who has jurisdiction over this to complain to.

Also, I totally understand that this horrible incident has put you off working for them but personally I would have to prove that I wasn’t lying. I hate being accused of lying, especially by someone trying to cover up their own incompetence. It would really start to fester and drive me mad!
I can see why you may be inclined to just forget about it though and move on as your bereavement is obviously still very raw.
Whatever you decide to do, it’s their loss. I hope you find a job that is perfect for you soon

Sorry, read the legalese too fast. They can record you without telling you for five specific reasons and will probably claim one of them.

Not really relevant to the thread because the person who you spoke to has treated you appallingly and that's the actual problem here.

Block her out
Go to the interview
Nail it
Get the job

That is revenge enough

Ugh. I would reply that her inability to make an appropriate apology for her obvious mistake and her attempts to continue to claim it is remotely feasible that you stated you even had a mother in law, let alone that this non-existent person had died, mean that the interview is now off the table, because the organisation she represents has lost credibility as an appropriate employer in your eyes.

*credible, not feasible.

Put a data subject access request in for both the original and subsequent call and indeed any other of your data.

I would also ask them to listen to the recording! Would put me off the company - definitely.

I'd lodge a formal complaint about her to head office / HR / CEO / Governing Body or all 4 at the same time

I would NEVER work for a company who employs someone like that

I'm so sorry for your loss

And I’d probably flag with HR and leave a glass door review. I wouldn’t ever apply for a job there again so happy to burn all my bridges.

Sorry to hear about your grandma.

I've called peoples bluff many a time asking to hear the recorded phone calls they apparently have. Every single time I've had a response they can't access it and my answer has always simply been "convenient".

Agree with others to ask to listen to it. Then if you do and are proved right simple say "I don't want to work for a company who make such mistakes" and if they can't retrieve it for whatever reason simply respond the same or with "convenient".

But no - I wouldn't want to work for a company like this.

The calls won’t have been recorded - she would have had to announce it.
I would forget the job. Sounds like a horrible company.

Absolutely no way.

I would actually put in formal feedback about her behaviour. It’s so not ok.

Is this just the HR/ recruiter person? If so you don't have to deal with them much if you get the job so why not park this and give the interview a go?
Maybe she's ND so not great at getting something wrong, or peri menopausal and can't remember anything (speaking from experience of both). Regardless, she's not the hiring manager so I'd laugh it off and go to the interview.

Don’t let one person stop you going for a job you like. There is a very strong chance you will have nothing to do with her if you get the job, unless the job is in recruitment/hr.

This.

Her behaviour was crap and a massive red flag

Was she the hiring manager or someone in HR? Either way they sound like they'd be shit to work for so I'd be tempted to go to the interview and at the any other questions stage bring it up, producing aforesaid evidence, terminate the interview on your terms and then post an accurate account of the experience on Glassdoor.

But I'm heading towards the end of my career such as it's been and despise what HR has turned into in the last 10 to 15 years and the fact they never get called out on their nonsense. Although since most of the ones I've encountered are half rhinoceros they'd probably not realise anyway.

I'd probably have made a different choice in my 20s when my options were much more limited and I desperately needed employment.

I would go to the interview because until the phone call, you had obviously wanted the job. However, when it comes to asking your own questions I'd be asking if the phone recording was listened too as you are aware of who's passed away and wouldn't like to think there's been any crossed wires on such a sensitive matter.

The loss of someone close does affect your judgement so you were right to ask for advice here. Sorry fir your loss.
The HR department of your company has served you very badly and it seems they continue to lie and put the responsibility for their mistake on you.

So I think the correct thing to do is to follow that through to the proper conclusion before interviewing for another job with them.
You should highlight what has happened in a properly worded complaint and escalate the incident up the hierarchy until there is a full investigation, accountability and sanctions for the staff member responsible - and an apology of course.
It would also be the right thing to do to tell the interviewer who is impressed with your CV and clearly wants you, that you can’t interview for the job until your official grievance is satisfactorily concluded.

I'm so pleased to hear that.

There are so many people on MN that seem to practise competitive heartlessness in the workplace, as if being a bit more uncaring than the next person makes you employee of the year. My son works for a completely opposite kind of organisation and as a result everyone goes the extra mile and the staff turnover is minimal so they're not constantly wasting money on recruitment and losing valuable experience.

It's not about revenge, it's about how they would be to work for

I would forget the job. Sounds like a horrible company.

There are twats everywhere in every company. If it is the hiring manager or someone important then agreed. If it’s just some HR administrator then I wouldn’t sweat it tbh.

@Bananarepublic agree, that’s the case where I work but we’ve had some truly awful people in HR.

That was my thought. I'd go to the interview and ask to listen to the recording before hand then you will know if it's you or not.

Or just ask if they've had a chance to listen to the recording let - confirm what time you called them and then when they respond then say no.

Email the hiring manager saying "Thank you very much for the offer of an interview, the job sounds really interesting and I would have loved to work with you, but I have been treated so appallingly by your HR department in the run up to the interview process that I'm afraid I couldn't accept a position at the organisation, so will be withdrawing from the process. I wish you all the best in finding the right person to hire."