DD18 got fired

[ElChapo]

So DD didn’t do very well at her GCSE’s. Got a couple at grade 4 one being maths but essentially didn’t get English despite taking it twice. After applying for around 200 jobs she got a position in what is effectively a call centre. Not cold calling but answering calls for a breakdown company. It was quite a distance from
where we live and the travel really got her down and started being late. Just before she’d complete 6 months there they called her in and fired her on the spot so is now jobless. My question is does she have to be completely honest with a prospective new employer that she got fired and if so is there a way to word it that doesn’t come across so badly?

Showing up on time is the minimum requirement for most jobs. For her sake, I wouldn’t play that down. I think she will get away with it for a call centre type reference but not for a lot of jobs. When I had to employ people, I asked about punctuality when getting references. Someone who was not there on time was no use to me and caused a lot of stress. Obviously the occasional issue was fine but not someone who just takes the piss.

Don't lie about where she left. It'll come up when future potential employers ask for references.

Tax details will show she has been employed and she’ll want to use her experience when she did bother to work to persuade the next person to employ her.

Don’t lie. She’s been employed.

She can either use this as a learning opportunity and start being on time, or she can continue to do this.

Many employers don't give or ask for references beyond confirmation of dates worked. We (law firm) don't.

Could you lie any more?

My post made fuck all reference to the OP.

The time wasting DD, sure, I did, as have others.

If you're going to call someone out for something, at least have the intellectual honesty to post factually and not lie.

🤦‍♂️

How far was she travelling to work and what changed that caused her to be late? If she claims unemployment benefit they will write to her employer to find their account of why she lost the job (as well as her account) and she is likely to be financially sanctioned.

Why not lie?

Employers aren’t the bloody FBI. Honestly a lot of people won’t even have had their first job by 19. Entirely believable.

Life is long. She has learned a valuable lesson. Not a big deal at all.

Why didn’t she pass her GCSEs? Is she dyslexic/struggles with learning? Or did she just not put the effort in?

In either case, the best option for her is to go back to a college with a supportive learning environment and get her English and some other GCSEs that interest her, then apply for an apprenticeship in a field that she’d like to work in.

While she studies she could do a part time job and actually learn a work ethic - being on time is the bare minimum. There’s so much competition at entry level she’s going to have to grow up fast. In any job ‘just ten minutes’ for a month is persistent lateness and a sackable offence. Her workplace isn’t in the wrong, she is. Anyone would be sacked for that at entry level, and many levels above that too. You need to stop making excuses for her, it’s not helpful.

I'd say she left due to difficulties with transport at that location. I've had five jobs over the years and as far as I'm aware no one has ever asked my employers for a reference.

Moving forward if she's late, can't work for whatever reason, offer to make up the time or ask to renegotiate her contract for different working hours.

She needs to realise that timekeeping is important in many jobs and you need to stop minimising it as 'only 10 mins or so'.

absolutely.
Do you work op? I just can’t get my head around the ‘only 10 mins’ attitude at all. She should be in work before shift time, so ready to work at the start time, not breezing in after start time each day.

Because when they get the information from HMRC, they can be sacked.

It will show her last employer on her P45 or whatever they call it now. Her best bet is to get some temporary work for a few months so that will be her last employer.

That is a remarkably entitled comment. As if every one else enjoys getting up early and slogging into work.

I’ve seen plenty of people sacked when seemingly little lies get found out. Loss of trust is a major issue. (HR Director.)

She should be honest with new employers, trying to hide it could bite her on the arse. She needs to be able to explain how she’s learned from that experience and why it won’t happen again. She’s only 18, a decent employer will give her a chance.

Hopefully she has now realised timekeeping is important you seem to be downplaying this saying it was "only" 10 mins every day - what if every employee decided to just do the same in call centre environment being late has a knock on effect for everyone

To be honest, employers are used to seeing teenagers going through multiple jobs before "settling down".
I remember when I was a similar age, a good friend of mine at the time, had 13 jobs in the space of about a year before I stopped counting!
She's now a 40yo mum of two, and has been in the same job for years.

I don't think anyone bothers to check references these days, certainly not for low level jobs (hopefully some posters will put me right if I'm wrong).
HRs in my last 2 work places never bothered with contacting previous employers. My previous manager said it had become almost pointless as the employer cannot give bad reference (although as a prospective employer you can gauge what went wrong by asking carefully selected questions). I would say it was a temp job on CV.

Why was she late? What was causing the lateness? Bus getting in late, or what?

She’s only 18 this isn’t the end of the world. I would put it on her CV with the dates she worked there then say she gave it up because the travel became too much.
Hopefully they will provide a basic reference, you wouldn’t expect much more than that for an 18 year old who worked somewhere for 6 months anyway.
Hopefully she will learn a lesson though that you can’t take the piss too much at work because they can just fire you!

"ONLY" ten minutes late!! Every day for a month!! WTF?! It's hardly surprising they binned her. I'm amazed they allowed it to continue for a month. If she'd carried on doing that every day, she'd have owed them a whole week by the end of her first year. Admittedly, public transport outside of the Greater London area is pretty dire but she just has to suck it up. It doesn't matter what type of job she goes for in future, she has to be on time, end of.

Me too. It's her first job. She needs to take it seriously. Imagine you are her employer OP, it would drive you nuts because if she is allowed to do it, so is everyone else and it all goes to ratshit real quick.

Stop minimising it and be disappointed in her to try and get her to take being an adult seriously.

She needs to try and get a job doing something she is interested in rather than just wanting the money.

it sounds as though she didn’t pass probation. I understand that an employer is not allowed to say anything negative (eg, her timekeeping was poor and she was continually late, so we fired her). They will only state ‘we confirm ElChapoJnr worked here from x date until Y date’.

Your DD should put it on CV as all work experience is valuable, but simply state ‘6m contract discontinued due to issues with travel’ and make sure that everything she applies for addresses this - ie, she considers the logistics of travel and has an answer if asked about it in interview (eg. Yes, I’ve checked how to travel to your location and have identified there is a no 7 bus, three times an hour and have started driving lessons so that I drive eventually).

Of course it’s not the end of the world but 10 minutes late everyday for a month is horrific. I’ve been working since I was 13, I’m 26 now and I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve been late to work - once. When a train was cancelled when I was 18, and I not only gave those ten minutes back during lunch but I ensured I was leaving the house half an hour earlier from that point on to be able to get the bus if needed. Time management is a basic skill.