NEW JOB WOES!

[billybass]

I was due to start a new job but they changed their mind beceause i have been off sick too much they said. I havnt been off too much my reference was wrong- I am dealing with the reference but how do I know whether this employer is family friendly? Any thoughts?

Billybass I posted the following for you on the other thread, don't know if you saw it?

Have you spoken to your new employers and explained that the absence record they were given was incorrect? And have you spoken to your old employers and asked them to supply correct information?

thanks for the message flowery bean bag. I have spoken to my current employer who are are going to change the incorrect record. I have also informed the new employer of the correct record. The new employer is at the moment refusing to reinstate the job offer but i am sure i can appeal this. Any thoughts?

Flowery beanbag i didnt get the other message, i am new to mumsnet and i am just working it all out. Which other thread?

Flowery bean bag i have found the other thread by looking in my profile. Thanks any suggestions for my next move?

Billybass you could ask them to reconsider but you don't have any rights as such. The problem is they may well have offered the job to someone else now and might prefer to stick with them.

Who was it you spoke to at the new employers? Was it your potential boss? If it was, then there's probably nothing you can do, if it wasn't, I'd probably advise you to give the person who would be your boss a call and have a chat with him/her, see what he/she says.

You can only ask though, bottom line is if they want to withdraw an offer they can do so, unless it's some kind of discrimination, either because you are female or disabled or something. I assume you don't think that's what's happened? I think the most likely scenario is they've offered someone else. Either that or they still weren't happy with your absence record even when they had the correct information.

I am gutted, I was sure that they would have to offer me the post back as this wasn't my mistake.I do feel unfairly treated.The person who withdrew the post was a boss but not the top one.This person questioned me about a period of sickness I had in 2003 which was part of maternity so could I complain about this? I feel that he did not take my whole employment record into account.My sickness record is good.My current boss agrees but it was the administrative office that made the mistake. They were really apologetic.My self esteem has taken a bit of a knock beceause of this.

surely if the period in question was part of maternity then they are disciminating?

Chouffleur thanks for the message,the person in question asked me about a period of sickness that I had over three years ago. This was when I had really bad morning sickness and my Doctor signed me off for 8 weeks. Previous to this I had had no sickness whatever. A man would not have to deal with this, but does asking about maternity related sickness amount to discrimination? What do you think?

i think it does - i know where i work materbity related sickness is never couonted in any sickness procedings. this may help www.eoc-law.org.uk/Default.aspx?page=2993

Yes, pregnancy related sickness should not be counted (or provided) as part of your sickness record, so if your current employer are providing this information they shouldn't.

Make sure the new employer has the correct information. If they are basing this decision purely on pregnancy related sickness that is discrimination, so you can challenge them.

I really don't think you should let this affect your confidence though. This has no reflection on you. Obviously your application was good otherwise they would not have called you for interview. Obviously you performed well at interview otherwise you would not have been offered the job. So don't let it affect your confidence.

Make sure they have the correct information and are basing the decision only on the information they are allowed to consider. They still may not change their minds though. If for example it was very close between you and another candidate and they have come back with a completely clean sickness record that might have a bearing.

Is there an HR department at the new job? The manager in question might not know he can't consider pregnancy related sickness, for example. Speak to them and explain the situation and see what happens.

Thanks for messages. I will speak to the HR department this coming week. I will see what they say. Thanks for all the advice. I have learn't a lot about sickness records through this !

billybass don't know if you've done this but you might want to consider asking your current employer (HR if there is one) to speak to the potential new employer on your behalf, as it was their error and they are obviously apologetic.

Something like 'I am sure you are aware that pregnancy related sickness can't be considered in circumstances like this so it was completely our error in providing you with that information, we are very sorry. Billybass is a highly valued employee who would be an asset to your organisation and we do hope our administrative error won't impact on the offer of employment she has received from you'.

If they'd be prepared to say something like that it would convey the legal situation to the new employers clearly as well as blowing your trumpet a bit.

I have to say I do find it a bit strange of the new employer to be asking about absence records 5 years ago anyway. Most reference requests would ask for absence records for the previous year or two, so worrying about things that happened 5 years ago seems a bit extreme of them.

Flowerybeanbag thanks for the message. Info will be very useful.The pregnancy related sickness was given by an old employer not my current one. I will use the little 'speech'that you provided though.The boss who has dealt with this from the new employers has been quite confrontational ,this is why my confidence took a little knock because he implied I was a shirker who - his words"I will see if you are worth the risk in employing". I think I will need to establish if the new employer is family friendly before I move. What do you think?Of course, I am not moving anywhere yet because I have not got the job offer reinstated!

Thankyou everyone for all the advice especially about the maternity stuff.

Regarding whether the new employer is 'family friendly', depends what you mean/need really. When you received the offer of employment, did you get any policies with it, a staff handbook or anything like that? If so, have a look at the maternity policy to see how generous that is, and also whether they have a flexible working policy. Whether you actually need either of these or not, it might give an indication of the general attitude towards parents.

If what you need is a boss who is happy to let you go a bit early for parents' evening/work from home when DC are ill, or something like that, it might not come down to a policy, more about the individual concerned.

Thanks, should I ask a new employer if they would let me attend school concerts etc or wopuld this give the impression that I am a shirker? I always am willing to work extra and make up time elsewhere.

Don't ask that! That's the sort of flexibility that has to be earned, if you ask before you even get there you'll get faces.

When you start a new job, be committed, work hard, make a good impression, develop a good relationship with your boss, go over and above, be really good at what you do, work extra when there's something important, and earn bags of goodwill. Once you've earned the goodwill, leaving early once every so often for something like that and making up elsewhere will be a lot easier to negotiate.

It's not just about the family friendly-ness of the company, it's all give and take, and your boss will be much more inclined to 'give' when it's possible if he/she feels you are 'giving' as well.

Ok. It is just that I have worked for employers before who are keen for me to cover other's work but will not give me back anything when I need half an hour off early.What do you think, I want to start a new job in a school soon but my youngest child is starting scool in Sept so I will need to settle her in a bit.This will involve taking her to school at 9am.Is it reaonable to want to start a new job now or would you wait until Christmas when I know she is settled?

Difficult to say really. Depends whether taking your DD to school at 9 will mean a huge change in your normal working hours or just arriving a tiny bit late for a couple of weeks. Depends whether the job you want to do is the kind of job where you can potentially leave early/arrive late/arrive early/leave late to be flexible or not.

Also depends how urgently you want/need a new job. If you are ok in your present one for the time being and will be able to do the settling-in thing while you are there quite easily, it might be worth waiting a while so things are settled down before starting somewhere new.

I will ask my current employer for extra hours as they were the ones who made a mistake with the whole sick leave thing -maybe they will be sympathetic this time. I am still pushing for the new job offer to be reinstated too.I do like my job and it is very flexible, I just don't work enough hours at the moment . I am fed up with being skint all the time. Money is not everything though I suppose!

Everyone, the new employer has advertised an almost identical job to the one I was given a few weeks ago.I have asked for the application form. Would you apply again?

Yes do apply again definitely. As you were shortlisted, interviewed and then offered the job last time, even though it was withdrawn, you should be shortlisted again.

Ok thanks flowery.