May we contact your current employer?

[mick82907]

I have a question regarding the "may we contact your current employer". Right now I have a very decent job unrelated to the fire service. I have been working there for 4 years and after my 5th year I will become professionaly licensed. My current employer does not know that I am thinking about changing career fields. With the way the economy is right now, I am afraid that if my job was contacted by a fire department my current employee status would be non-existant. How should I handle this conflict on an application? If I state I do not want you to contact my current employer does that portray me as a type of individual that will keep secrets or go behind someones back? If the intent is to verify employment why can't we just submit a paystub?

Let me know what you guys think, and what you state on an application and thanks for your advice.

[evanbell]

I have a question regarding the "may we contact your current employer". Right now I have a very decent job unrelated to the fire service. I have been working there for 4 years and after my 5th year I will become professionaly licensed. My current employer does not know that I am thinking about changing career fields. With the way the economy is right now, I am afraid that if my job was contacted by a fire department my current employee status would be non-existant. How should I handle this conflict on an application? If I state I do not want you to contact my current employer does that portray me as a type of individual that will keep secrets or go behind someones back? If the intent is to verify employment why can't we just submit a paystub?

Let me know what you guys think, and what you state on an application and thanks for your advice.

You should be able to specific that you would allow them to contact ONLY if they are offering you a job. A lot of companies (and during these times, fire departments) should understand that you wouldn't want them contacting your current company until you have another job secured. I would just contact HR and inform them of your situation and I would think they would understand

[Mzanghetti]

You should be able to specific that you would allow them to contact ONLY if they are offering you a job. A lot of companies (and during these times, fire departments) should understand that you wouldn't want them contacting your current company until you have another job secured. I would just contact HR and inform them of your situation and I would think they would understand


My current employer is not very employee friendly, IMHO, I would not want a potential employer to contact them because I would expect a very negative reaction. In this current economic situation I would proceed very carefully and be ready for the consequences.

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

There is no negative to asking them not to contact your present employer until a formal offer of employment has been made.

[ant195]

Mick,

When I was testing for fire departments I was in a similar position as you. I was in my second year of teaching and at the start of my third I got tenure. I put on my application that they could contact my employer and a note see letter. With my application I sent in a typed letter that stated my situation and asked that they not contact my employer unless I was going to be offered the job and to please let me know when they would be doing this so I could go in and tell them in person myself before they called. They did not have any problem with that and they contacted me before they contacted my employer. Be honest with them and let them know what is going on and you should have no problem.

[madden01]

I was also in this situation once. I had a very very very rude nasty old Bi!#& of a boss. I was also afraid of being let go if they found out I was looking. I listed the H.R. contact number in New York to verify my employment and not my local office number. They called the H.R. dept directly who verified my employment and my boss (whom we called the Devil wears Kmart) never found out. Also find out if your company uses the work number if they do let your interviewer know that

Good Luck!