To expect an employer to play fair

Might as well come clean janthea and say that the supermarket was Sainsbury's. My husband worked for Waitrose and they were brilliant when he became ill, really couldn't fault them. My son works for them too and he has had help when he had health problems.

Exactly....my DH wouldn't have got the new job if he hadn't been able to provide another reference at short notice.

One of the last things said to him was 'How are we supposed to manage if you leave?'.

He told them it wasn't his problem.

Some years ago a brilliant candidate for a teaching post in my department was passed over when our Head got her reference from her previous Head. He told her so (more or less) at the debrief and suggested she ask to be shown her reference and take it up at her current school. The reference turned out to be a tissue of lies and designed (believe it or not) to keep her as she had already been offered a promotion which she had declined as she was so unhappy there.
She took this up with her union, sued the school etc etc and after a very long time, won her case. Fortunately we had a last minute vacancy and were ale to offer her a job after all -she was superb but so nearly lost to the profession forever on account of one vindictive and dishonest Headteacher. In other lines of work - read Line Manager

deedaa. I bet the horrible supermarket wasn't Waitrose. Employees are partners there' aren't they?

VQ how terrible, the story sounds like a bad dream, you could out them so that everyone would know what kind of a company they are. Your poor husband.

I spent a horrible year working for one of the major supermarkets. I lost a stone and a half and my life was hell. The worst thing was that the regional manager was based at our branch and couldn't have given a toss what happened to any of the workers. M & S on the other hand welcomed me with open arms and were SO much better to work for.

This is what happens when little people with little minds get into positions they have no aptitude for ...

VQ I'm glad that is all over. Many people in positions of power behave badly to those who work for them, it is an unfortunate part of life which successive governments have tried to address but I don't think it will ever really go away.

I'm a little concerned that the new company asked for a reference before offering him the job. What if they hadn't offered it to him or if he had turned it down? That is very unprofessional.

Please give him my best wishes for the new job.

I bet it is such a relief for your DH to be out of that Company and what a terrible way to treat an employee but we are hearing of it so often.I would now put it all behind you both and look forward to him being in a much better employment.Best of luck to him in his new job.

VQ you describe a completely shoddy attitude by your husband's last firm; petty vindictiveness should have no place in any organisation, but sadly it comes down to individuals exercising power inappropriately I'm afraid. He's well shot of it.

VQ

My nephew was a delivery driver for a chain of high street chemists and he had a very similar experience. I do think this type of thing has more to do with the likes of managers, supervisors, rather company policy. When his complaint went to the company HQ, like a lot of companies they backed the supervisor against him. They actually did nothing wrong, just vindictively made his last month of working for them horrible..

He learnt long after leaving the supervisor got pushed out, much to a lot of the workers joy. The problem is as I say the company had not under employment law done anything wrong and it was a case of live and learn.

I hope his new employer is a little more considerate of it's employees.