If I were to be completely honest, my biggest fear, the thing that keeps me awake at night, my boogie man, if you will, is what if I got fired from my job.
While I completely understand that this is an unfortunate occurrence that happens from time to time and that it does not define you as a professional, it’s still something that I have no desire to experience.
Imagine my horror, then, when I came across this post on Quora. Not only was this person fired from their job, but their boss also went ahead and emailed other businesses in the area and told them to never hire them.
Let’s be clear, regardless of what the post did or didn’t do, there is no excuse for this type of behavior. Even if you get fired for a job, under no circumstances is it ethical, or even legal to try to blacklist you from gaining employment laws.
There are 29 states that have specific laws against blacklisting, and defamation is illegal in all 50 states.
Things you need to note
There is no real way to know if you’ve been blacklisted or not, however, there are certain things that are good to remember if you got fired from a job.
The first thing to note is that there should be a valid reason. Your place of employment should provide you with proper documentation, job performance reviews, etc.
Good business practice says that firing should not come as a surprise. Reviews, whether formal or informal, should take place so that you, as an employee, know what areas you need to improve upon.
While “At-Will” employment, meaning that you do not have a guaranteed time of employment, is common, it does not mean that your employer has the ability to just fire you because he or she feels like it.
Reference calls
When a potential employer calls a former place of employment, most of the time they are only interested in very basic facts, including job title, salary, and how long you worked there.
Nevertheless, they can ask their opinion on how you were as an employee, and they can answer honestly, but they are only allowed to present factual evidence; nothing more and nothing less.
Employee rights
Remember that as an employee, you have rights. Labor laws differ from state to state, so familiarize yourself with how the law protects you.
If you believe that you were fired unfairly, or that your former employer is trying to blacklist you from finding another job, keep a record of everything, and consult with someone that can help you gain a better understanding of the situation and whether you have a case.
For more advice on how to further your career, go to Upkey.com!
