How to Find Out If There Were Rumors Spread After You Left an Old Job

Rumors surround a job termination or departure.

Rumors that are spread about you after you leave a job can range from a mere annoyance to a legal issue, depending upon the seriousness of the accusations, the verity of the statements, and who those statements have been made to. If a previous employer spreads untrue or malicious information about you to a new potential employer, you may have a legal cause of action against him. However, if co-workers merely gossip amongst themselves about you after you leave your job, this may not rise to anything more than an annoyance. Determining the source of the rumors and how far those rumors have spread will help you find out how serious or damaging the gossip may be.

Instructions

1. Ask former co-workers. They may be willing to tell you what was said about you after you left. Do not engage in gossip about your departure with them, but use this connection to your past employment to find out what has been said by others about you.

2. 

   Pay attention to the questions asked in an interview.

   Attend interviews. During the interview process, you may find that the questions turn in topic in a way that will indicate that your interviewer has heard rumors about you from your past employers. Pay attention to the questions that are asked of you and answer them truthfully. Do not spread rumors yourself or disparage your past employer.

3. 

   Talk to your previous boss if you suspect rumors are being spread.

   Confront your previous employer. If you suspect rumors have been spread about you, ask your employer to discuss what you have heard. Do not accuse the employer directly, but raise your concerns and inquire whether there is an awareness on their part of these rumors. Ask what has been done to curb the rumors about you.

Tips & Warnings

• Search the Internet. By Googling your own name, you can find information written about you after you parted ways from your last job including articles written about you, which may contain rumors about your departure or job performance.

References

• Lawyers.com: Employees: Job Termination Rights
• Buffalo Business First: Giving Job References Termed 'Lawsuits Waiting to Happen': January 26, 1998 by Harvey P. Sanders
• LegalMatch: Job Reference Liability Lawyers