Worried about reference

[Wineandshine]

Hi, I’m just wanting some advice. I am being made redundant and I am worried my manager is not going to give me a good reference. During this job I have been bullied by this manager and have had to get my union involved. HR are known for being notoriously bad at any disputes. Anyway I have had an interview for a job which I am waiting to hear back from and I am worried that if I am offered the job or any job my manager will give me a bad reference. How do I go about resolving this? Throughout my career I have always been given good references and I have never had any issues with my work.

It's very unlikely. A reference can be bad, but only if it is factual, backed up and doesn't give an overall misleading impression.

Far more likely to be simple dates, job title and that's it.

Find out what your company policy is on references. At mine, managers are not allowed to give references at all. References come from the HR team, who probably you have never even met.

These days references are only to the extent of confirming employment CIA HR. Personal references are not preferred in my organisation when hiring new people.

Via (not CIA)

Your firm is making you redundant. It would be beyond spiteful not to give a decent reference.

Anyway most just confirm dates etc

It is very rare for organisations to give out references and even more unusual for managers to be involved in the process. It would usually be a confirmation if employment dates, possibly job title and issued by the HR department. I have been in the workforce for three decades almost and have never come across anything other than this.

So, don’t worry.

Thank you. I think I’m just feeling a bit deflated. I worked so hard to reach this point in my career and I am now being discriminated against for having a baby. Being made redundant was not a surprise due to how I was treated when I told them of my pregnancy but to now actively not be getting offered jobs I apply for is quite disheartening, especially when the feedback is very positive. Maybe it is just a coincidence but in my field there is a huge shortage of us.

I don’t really understand your update. Your first post was about a reference but now it has leaped to discrimination?

@Wineandshine

Thank you. I think I’m just feeling a bit deflated. I worked so hard to reach this point in my career and I am now being discriminated against for having a baby. Being made redundant was not a surprise due to how I was treated when I told them of my pregnancy but to now actively not be getting offered jobs I apply for is quite disheartening, especially when the feedback is very positive. Maybe it is just a coincidence but in my field there is a huge shortage of us.

So initially it was a hypothetical thing, a worry that at some point in the future when references are taken up in respect of a job, your manager could give a bad one.

Now you’re suggesting you think this is already happening?

Well yes it’s hypothetical as I don’t know for sure this is what is happening. In my industry you obtain references before an offer is made. It is still a concern of mine.The discrimination came from me announcing my pregnancy and then being side lined and now being made redundant. It is a well known fact that women are behind men in career progression.