Employer Defamation of Character Caused Me to Lose Two Jobs
Can someone please help me? Nine years ago I was charged for shoplifting a DVD at Target. I was young and stupid and did it for fun not because I needed money. Two years ago I got a new job and the owner of the company did a background check on me without my permission. After my employer found the theft record the employer’s son had a company meeting telling the other employees to keep an eye on me because I have a criminal record. Soon after that shipment orders started to go missing someone in the company started stealing and they knew that I would be accused. The company installed cameras only pointing in my area to watch me but they could never catch me doing anything wrong. I was always at my work station and never brought a bag in the building and never walked out of the building with anything in my hands. The company later started thinking someone in the company was helping me. Because I am African American women and there were only two other African Americans working for the company, they assumed that we were working together to steal. The company made up a story that I was taking products and throwing it in the trash and having the two guys take the trash out. I decided to quit, but before I left I told the owner that I knew about all the lies they were spreading. The company denied everything and pretended like they didn’t know what I was talking about. I soon found a new job. My new job called my old job for a reference and was told that they felt I was stealing from the company and that I was possibly on drugs. After hearing this news my new job fired me. I soon got hired at another job and my job contacted the same company they basically slander my name again with lies and theories. I only been at my new job for two weeks and got great reviews from my employer they were thinking of giving me an early raise. Now it seems like I will be fired again after receiving after my old job completely lied on me. If you meet me I am one of the nicest people you could know and everyone liked me at my old job. I worked hard and made sure I was a good employee. I made a mistake when I was a teen and it seems like this company is out to destroy me. Can someone help me? I know this company has broken a lot of laws and I don’t think they should get away with this. I will never be able to keep a job if they continue to spread lies. Thanks
Re: Employer Defamation of Character Caused Me to Lose Two Jobs
Why are your new employers seeking references from your past employer only after they hire you and you start working? That would be very unusual - employers routinely check references before hiring somebody.
Re: Employer Defamation of Character Caused Me to Lose Two Jobs
And what laws do you think the company is breaking? It's not against the law for them to tell another employer what happened when you were employed with them.
Re: Employer Defamation of Character Caused Me to Lose Two Jobs
Why are you listing this employer as a reference?
Re: Employer Defamation of Character Caused Me to Lose Two Jobs
I am a freelance writer for different websites, and my dad is a successful business man in Europe. After I was hired some of the employees Google my name because they couldn’t find my facebook account. That is when they found out I was a writer and that I was the daughter of a successful business man. This information got back to the owners of the factory I work for. The owners were intrigue and worried that I might write about their company, so they did a background check. That is when they found the thief record from nine years ago. My problem is every time I am hired for a job someone Googles my name and is intrigue with what they find and this information spreads. I feel it is illegal for the company to discuss my background record with everyone in the company and later suggest I am stealing when product goes missing. Now whenever someone contacts them for a reference they tell the same lie that they think I am a crook.
I don't list them they find it in the background check
I feel it is illegal for the company to discuss my background record with everyone in the company. The owner told the UPS about my record. The UPS guy doesn’t work for the company he doesn’t need to know this. It just makes it easy for someone else to steal and get away with it because they know I will be blame. This is exactly what happened to me.
Re: Employer Defamation of Character Caused Me to Lose Two Jobs
What state were you arrested in when you stole the DVD? Petition that state for an expungements of your criminal record.
Some sites will still have the criminal history on file for some time, but the city/state/FBI and any law enforcement agency will not release this information due to it being sealed. This is your best bet, if you want to keep your job.
I still don't see why you are having so much trouble 9 years after the fact if you are telling the truth that it was only a DVD and not a felony.
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Quoting
sarah99
I don't list them they find it in the background check
I can give you my full name, date of birth and social security number and you will not find out who I worked for in the past.
Re: Employer Defamation of Character Caused Me to Lose Two Jobs
Yes my story is 100% true. I have no reason to lie online and to get the best help I am 100% honest. I don’t understand how my last two jobs found my old employer. I didn’t put it on my resume. I just figured it comes with the background check. Thanks for your help I will start doing some research on expungement.
Re: Employer Defamation of Character Caused Me to Lose Two Jobs
Why would you think that telling people the truth would be illegal?
Why would you think that your criminal record - which is public record, by the way - is confidential information? If your former employer wants to put the information on a billboard next to the highway, it is legal.
You have no expectation of privacy in this regard. If you know it is going to come up, I would address your conviction in your interview.
For what it is worth... you are a thief.
Re: Employer Defamation of Character Caused Me to Lose Two Jobs
I do not think that telling the truth is illegal. I feel that telling lies or false theories is illegal. My problem with this job was that they told everyone in the factory that I had a misdemeanor record. Instantly after that someone started stealing from the company knowing I would be blamed. I quit this job. My new job called my old job and the company said I stole from them which was 100% false it was someone else in the company that was stealing. I am blame because of the record I received nine years ago. I think it’s illegal for the company to accuse me of something I didn’t do. They only think it was me because of my old record. This company told my new employer that I was stealing from them and this is not true. The company never saw me do anything wrong and had no proof of me doing anything so they should say I did. I have never been in trouble since I got my record. I was a teen when I stole the DVD. I was with friends and not really thinking of the consequences and that it was wrong. After getting in trouble I was never in trouble again. I do everything I can to always do the right thing. It is very sad for me to have a company say I did something I know I didn’t do and pass this information on to new employers.
I do not think that telling the truth is illegal. I feel that telling lies or false theories is illegal. My problem with this job was that they told everyone in the factory that I had a misdemeanor record. Instantly after that someone started stealing from the company knowing I would be blamed. I quit this job. My new job called my old job and the company said I stole from them which was 100% false it was someone else in the company that was stealing. I am blame because of the record I received nine years ago. I think it’s illegal for the company to accuse me of something I didn’t do. They only think it was me because of my old record. This company told my new employer that I was stealing from them and this is not true. The company never saw me do anything wrong and had no proof of me doing anything so they should say I did. I have never been in trouble since I got my record. I was a teen when I stole the DVD. I was with friends and not really thinking of the consequences and that it was wrong. After getting in trouble I was never in trouble again. I do everything I can to always do the right thing. It is very sad for me to have a company say I did something I know I didn’t do and pass this information on to new employers.
This is a reply to Cyjeff
I do not think that telling the truth is illegal. I feel that telling lies or false theories is illegal. My problem with this job was that they told everyone in the factory that I had a misdemeanor record. Instantly after that someone started stealing from the company knowing I would be blamed. I quit this job. My new job called my old job and the company said I stole from them which was 100% false it was someone else in the company that was stealing. I am blame because of the record I received nine years ago. I think it’s illegal for the company to accuse me of something I didn’t do. They only think it was me because of my old record. This company told my new employer that I was stealing from them and this is not true. The company never saw me do anything wrong and had no proof of me doing anything so they should say I did. I have never been in trouble since I got my record. I was a teen when I stole the DVD. I was with friends and not really thinking of the consequences and that it was wrong. After getting in trouble I was never in trouble again. I do everything I can to always do the right thing. It is very sad for me to have a company say I did something I know I didn’t do and pass this information on to new employers.
Re: Employer Defamation of Character Caused Me to Lose Two Jobs
It is true that you have a record for theft. You may or may not have stolen from your employer but you admittedly stole from Target. It is not illegal to say that, no matter how long ago it was.