[BWCustoms]

The basic cliff notes are that Im leaving my current company of 4 years to move to a new company. Since a majority of my dept already moved to this new company over the past couple of years it does not surprise me when my current company got wind of my new job offer.

After 4 years of an empty file, all of a sudden Im getting write ups for performance related issues and my head is on the chopping block once they speak to HR.

Not that it matters at this point (new job is in 11 days), but I've never worked for a company (especially one this big) that felt the need to sandbag me. I thought retaliation was something in tv shows and movies and what crappy employees say just because they got fired.

I'm on the fence, I dont know if I should be angry or laugh. :|

 

[1str8shot]

The basic cliff notes are that Im leaving my current company of 4 years to move to a new company. Since a majority of my dept already moved to this new company over the past couple of years it does not surprise me when my current company got wind of my new job offer.

After 4 years of an empty file, all of a sudden Im getting write ups for performance related issues and my head is on the chopping block once they speak to HR.

Not that it matters at this point (new job is in 11 days), but I've never worked for a company (especially one this big) that felt the need to sandbag me. I thought retaliation was something in tv shows and movies and what crappy employees say just because they got fired.

I'm on the fence, I dont know if I should be angry or laugh. :|

i guess there is always the option to call 'em out on it in a situation where they really dont want to be called out......... such as in front of a client..... thats what ive done in the past and it got my point across VERY well.......

 

[AV8R]

Heh. Call a meeting with your boss, confront him, and record the whole damn thing.

 

[Phil1979]

When you turn in your resignation, tell them to take their performance file and stuff it. And tell them if they give your new employer any information whatsoever beyond confirming the dates of your employment, that you'll sue them.

And what AV8R said, voice record everything.

 

[BWCustoms]

I did confront him. I told him the data being reported was wrong and offered to refute it with my own.

He declined. :lol:

Corporate heads like him are good at what they do, being two faced douche bags - he would never put himself in an incriminating situation. Why bother, GA is right to hire, right to fire.

 

[gruntpain1775]

When you turn in your resignation, tell them to take their performance file and stuff it. And tell them if they give your new employer any information whatsoever beyond confirming the dates of your employment, that you'll sue them.

Is this strictly a GA law?

 

[BWCustoms]

From what Ive read, there is technically no law prohibiting a previous employer from disclosing whatever they want.

HOWEVER...

There is apparently a VERY thin line that could cause the employer a costly defimation lawsuit. So most companies have their own policies in place on what info they can release. Usually this is just dates of employment.

Of course any of our big company wigs or HR people on this forum feel free to chime in.

edit: However I am considering dropping a resignation letter in HR's mailbox monday morning (Im off from now thru sunday) and giving them the one-two punch before they can strike at me. :lol:

 

[EJR914]

Heh. Call a meeting with your boss, confront him, and record the whole damn thing.

I had this exact same thing happen to me, and I recorded the whole conversation I had with my boss. It was very interesting indeed.

At least I got him on record saying that if I ever tried to use him as a reference, he would do everything in his power to make sure I was not hired by the new company, even thought my performance was fine.

He's a real :3hat:

Waste of three good years of my life, and the only good position that I had that relevant to my college degree that I had so far. Ticks you off. :cantsay:

 

[EJR914]

When you turn in your resignation, tell them to take their performance file and stuff it. And tell them if they give your new employer any information whatsoever beyond confirming the dates of your employment, that you'll sue them.

And what AV8R said, voice record everything.

This!

 

[Match10]

I left a very large A&E firm here locally in 1999. Not only was any promotion tied to "playing ball" with the firm's 'political' views, it was made clear I had to particpate and contribute in order to succeed there.

Nope, I only wanted to make buildings very cold. The writing was on the wall, and a know-nothing was placed in charge of me. Intolerable. I left.

The man, and his minions are now in prison.

 

[CoolHand]

Before you quit go over to ThinkGeek or Shomer-tec. One of those little annoy-a-tron gizmos covertly left in certain deserving individuals offices will drive them absolutely bat crap crazy trying to find it. Not that I've ever done anything like that. :wink: The ones at Shomer-Tec do more stuff and run much much longer on a set of batteries.

 

[sgtdevildog]

Be careful on the resignation thing - I've seen where things (which seem unrelated) can be triggered by a resignation - for instance - if you resign they may not have to pay unusued vacation/sick leave, it could trigger a non-contribution to a 401k or retirement plan (if applicable), etc. Be careful to consider all your benefits. And yes, on the Georgia side it is usually firm policy to just verify dates of employment and perhaps salary. There is however unspoken "code" among HR managers that can get the point across without actually saying anything particularly negative. Good luck with the new job.

 

[Suburbbus]

When I used to be a manager at a national company years ago, the only question that I would answer about a former employee was "Would you re-hire this employee".

Only answer was "yes" or "no". No details were ever given out.

 

[martin_j001]

I hate hearing crap like that. What the f*** happened to the day when the folks you've worked hard for and done a good job for are happy when you move on to something bigger and better. Sadly, I currently have a team leader who will do the same thing if and when I move on.

My favorite way I've left a job so far: Hated the place I worked and the people I worked for with a passion (lab director was later fired with extreme prejudice, the letter I wrote and sent to about 100+ people in state, county and federal gov't prompted this). I signed paperwork accepting a new job on a Thursday and got a start date, etc. Came into work Friday morning, typed up resignation letter while I drank my morning coffee. My resignation letter pointed out the amount of vacation time I had, a little over two weeks. Pretty much said I'm leaving today at 10am, I have x amount of vacation, my last day will be x, and I'll be on vacation until then. People were PISSED. I got a laugh. I spent the next two weeks drafting my letter (the one that got the lab director fired) with the help of others that had worked for the state for a very long time, some for 30 years.

 

[budone1967]

There is no law in Georgia that says you have to pay an employee for anything other than the hours they worked. Vacation, sick time, holidays are all bebefits and not gauranteed. As far as the info that can be disclosed, verify dates of employment, salary, position with the company, and would you rehire the employee. More than that and you get into disclosing personal info that can get you sued.

If you are leaving the job I wouldn't worry about it to much. They will get theirs in the end.

 

[Suburbbus]

I hate hearing crap like that. What the f*** happened to the day when the folks you've worked hard for and done a good job for are happy when you move on to something bigger and better. Sadly, I currently have a team leader who will do the same thing if and when I move on. My favorite way I've left a job so far: Hated the place I worked and the people I worked for with a passion (lab director was later fired with extreme prejudice, the letter I wrote and sent to about 100+ people in state, county and federal gov't prompted this). I signed paperwork accepting a new job on a Thursday and got a start date, etc. Came into work Friday morning, typed up resignation letter while I drank my morning coffee. My resignation letter pointed out the amount of vacation time I had, a little over two weeks. Pretty much said I'm leaving today at 10am, I have x amount of vacation, my last day will be x, and I'll be on vacation until then. People were PISSED. I got a laugh. I spent the next two weeks drafting my letter (the one that got the lab director fired) with the help of others that had worked for the state for a very long time, some for 30 years.

By answering that question with a "yes" or "no", it tells the potential employer what they should need to know from me.
If the former employee left under good terms and improved their situation, I was happy for them and had no problems answering "yes". If they were fired or left under questionable circumstances, I would answer "no". By doing this, there is no basis for that person to come back and sue us claiming that we defamed them. Of course, they could always still do that.

HR dept was usually the group that actually verified hire dates, salary, etc.

 

[madcapmagician]

Tell them a lawsuit for retaliation can be costly for them...

 

[CoffeeMate]

It sounds like they are "building a case". The two most common reasons for it are to "explain" an employee retention problem, and to fight an unemployment claim.

The "employee retention" problem is to answer why a particular business unit, VP, manager, etc keeps losing people. Employee retention can often be a factor in bonuses, so having a "pile of paperwork" on someone allows them to be "designated" as a "problem employee" thereby removing their departure as a factor in the bonus calculations. By the same token it allows the reporting chain to "save political face".

For an unemployment claim, a "pile of paperwork" is ready documentation showing "cause", thereby releasing the company from liability for a claim. If a claim is filed the company says no and has documentation to support why.

If you already have a new job offer in hand (to include a start date) then the issue is moot. You won't be filing an unemployment claim and the "employee retention" issue is an internal thing for the place you are leaving, (doesn't affect you anymore).

Later on down the road, if you start looking for yet another job, it can possibly bite you. The best thing to do is to list an HR representative and phone number for the company on subsequent job applications. Generally HR folks will stick to the dates of hire, salary, etc information.

As for the unused vacation time thing, usually that's triggered if a person just walks -- gives a resignation "effective immediately" and leaves the same day. Offering a customary two weeks notice usually preserves things like unused vacation time. It also allows the company to make the choice on whether or not to accept the two weeks. The "company" may "decide" it's in their best interests to let you go before the two weeks is up. The point is that you've shown good faith by "being reasonable" and in giving them the choice.

Nothing is guaranteed of course.

 

[JeF4y]

From what Ive read, there is technically no law prohibiting a previous employer from disclosing whatever they want.

HOWEVER...

There is apparently a VERY thin line that could cause the employer a costly defimation lawsuit. So most companies have their own policies in place on what info they can release. Usually this is just dates of employment.

Of course any of our big company wigs or HR people on this forum feel free to chime in.

I'm middle-management in one of the top 10 fortune 500 companies in the US. We have been sued a large number of times for a manager providing literally ANY information on an employee other than start/end dates. Even if it's "good" information, it can be argued that the tone of the person providing it caused the candidate to not get the job they were seeking. It's a huge issue, and a very real issue, and any company with employees should know their liability when providing information on an employee or former employee.

edit: However I am considering dropping a resignation letter in HR's mailbox monday morning (Im off from now thru sunday) and giving them the one-two punch before they can strike at me. :lol:

I wouldn't... Take the high road. No need to stoop to their level.

 

[SheriffOconee]

Coming from someone who hires a lot of people, I will always assume that someone's prior performance at their previous employer is how they will treat me.
Performance standards and evaluations are subject to reasonable explanation and rebuttal........D^%$%^&$g behavior is not.

Given the choice, I will higher someone I can train or work with over a more qualified applicant if the more qualified applicant is, or has been, a d^%&$*#$g for his previous employer.

I have 88 employees, a $3.5 million dollar budget, run 24/7 operations, provide service to 34,000 customers daily, have 100 inmates, an IT department, several million dollars worth of security electronics and communications gear, a fleet of vehicles, 40,000 + square feet of space.
The most problems I have are personnel....why on earth would I hire someone that has a history..????