My employer won't give me a reference

23 July 2003 by
My employer won't give me a reference

Question

I worked for a well-known bar chain for more than four years in the central production unit. Now that I have quit this job I am finding it impossible to get a reference from this employer.

I gave four weeks' notice before I left this job, but after working two of them my car blew up, so I had to get a lift and two trains for the third week. However, in the final week I could not get to work and explained this to my manager. Now he is unwilling to provide a reference, even though I had been in the company for a long time.

Do you have any suggestions about how to get round this? I was also put in a tricky position when I was asked about my reasons for leaving the job. This was not done in private but with my manager present and he was one of the reasons I wanted to leave.

What the expert says

Nick Gourley, UK sales director, Blue Arrow

!](#) -
Unfortunately employers are not legally bound to give a reference unless your contract of employment states otherwise. If you can persuade them to give a written reference, though, it must be true and accurate. I would suggest that you still give your previous employer details about any jobs for which you need references as they might respond to a direct request from another company, even if they do not want to give you an open reference (one that is addressed "To whom it may concern"). You could also consider getting personal references from any other people you worked with during this period of employment. Most employers will ask why you left your previous company as part of their interview process and honesty is usually a good policy to follow. If you are applying through recruitment agencies, they can also support your application by explaining what happened on your behalf. They can also help you to handle this type of question, as well as providing other useful interview techniques. You might want to visit a local Citizens Advice Bureau for further legal advice or look on the internet. There are some good tips available, as well as more information on employee rights. Try [www.acas.org.uk.
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