I don't know about Canadian law, but in the US, because of fear of being sued, many companies will tell potential employers only the dates of employment and whether they quit or were discharged. Even if an employer states something "off the record," it's no protection from a defamation lawsuit, so most err on the "better safe than sorry" side. If it were me, I would go out of my way to protect myself: write a resignation letter specifying your reason for leaving, get a copy of your write-up, document your conversations with higher ups. I would not tell potential future employers your reason for leaving. Just my 2 cents :) . I am sorry this happened to you, but perhaps it will open the way for something much better.

wonderful thoughts here . and swimgirl - calm down -easier said than done, i know. ya gotta think clearly here. the goal: to avoid more trouble, and to get out as quickly as possible, without burning bridges. i'm hopeful about your call to HR. sometimes they can work wonders, but they can also screw up beyond all hope of repair.

for as long as you have to stay, document document document. keep a journal. a PRIVATE journal of events. date everything. you might need it at some point, whether in your discussions with HR or with your evil boss. and i suggest you don'[t ask for 'that paper you signed because you don'[t know what you signed.' admitting that you don't know what you signed is NOT a politically good thing to do.

simply ask for your personnel folder. it's your right to see it. it'll be in there.

as for references, gypsy is right. many many places only give the basic facts, and if they want to have an off-the-record conversation, unfortunately, that's not something you can control.

reason for leaving: looking for more challenge, more responsibility, shorter commute. think up ANYTHING except that you have to get away from a bunch of nasty, gossipy morons.

i wish things were better. retail is unbelievably hard work. there's no way i'd survive in it. so my hat's off to you for even getting up in the mornings!!!

hang in there, darlin. we're behind you..

Aimee I'm so sorry this is happening. Everyone has given you such great advice. I've always said that I wouldn't work in a job where I wasn't happy and enjoyed my work. I've quit a job before without having a new one lined up because I was that unhappy and it was a bunch of gossip and BS that drove me away and I decided the stress was just too much for me to handle.

Just remember that everything happens for a reason and a much better job is probably about to open up for you.

Just my 2 cents on your manager. It sounds like you DM was trying to follow up on your complaints with your manager and she hasn't quite read the policy books or brushed up on those and is the one doing the gossipping. I do have a question? If you were bringing up complaints to a higher up how is that gossipping?

First of all, congratulations on having a conscience and trying to be honest with your higher-ups (even if it did backfire). That shows an insane amount of character and integrity! :bravo:

Also, I feel your pain. While I didn't work in retail for very long, 5 years was truly long enough to see how back-stabbing and petty some people can be. And I agree that it is difficult to mind your own business when there are so few people working in a store together (I worked in 5 different stores in the same chain, and each one had fewer than 10 people on staff, so whether you like it or not, you're going to get to know them).

I spent over a year working between 3 different stores in the same city because we were short-handed. Then my best friend got hired at one of the stores and went to a second store to help out (as I had been doing). The manager of that second store knew this girl was my best friend and roommate, and yet she totally badmouthed her in front of me! After that (and a few other bad situations), I learned not to trust my managers (which is a horrible way to have to work), and I definitely had to watch what I said and/or repeated to anyone (regardless of rank, considering my first store manager was sleeping with the DM). Unfortunately, retail politics are about as level-headed as a daytime soap opera--gossiping here, backstabbing there, dead spouses returning to life only to find that you have since married their best friend and had an illegitimate child with their brother...:p

Clearly, though, you're better than all of that. You mentioned Starbucks--I have heard that they are great to work for, and that even everyone who works in their corporate office has had to actually work behind the counter of a store for a few weeks first (I know one of my DMs had all these "great" ideas, but had never worked in one of our stores--how frustrating!). As for references, you said you explained the situtation about how they weren't allowed to provide references before, so you didn't give the phone number. I say if that works, stick with it. If they push for needing proof that you worked there, maybe give them the phone number for HR so they can do exactly what they should--confirm your employment, and that's it. No one in HR is going to badmouth you, especially since they don't even know you!

As for me, part of the reason I left my last job was that my boss was a control-freak/micro-managing psycho, but I didn't mention that in my interviews. Rather, I babbled about how I was looking for a position with more "opportunity for growth" and needed something "more challenging"...add enough 25-cent managerial terms to your years of experience and amazing personality, and you'll find a new job in no time. AND don't settle for the first job you're offered if you don't think you will be happy there, either! :nono: I made that mistake when I left my last psycho boss and took the most boring job ever known to man (my current position), so I went from unhappy to, well, unhappy. I'm sure you'll have no trouble at all finding a job, though, and I wish you the best of luck that it's the perfect one for you!! :crossed:

Wowsers, Thanks Jill, Dawyal, jiffy and all.. I had decided that I wouldn't ever tell what happened to cause me to leave my current job, interviewing for a job is essentially a "game" where you have to answer in the right way. I've been thinking about leaving my current job for a while, the commute is a little long. Thats all my new employer needs to know, this "gossip" is only one aspect.. my hard work, my ability to take on manager responsibilities without the pay, those are much more important than "gossip". It's time to move on, these people aren't truthful or very good people (one girl tells me about the scams she runs on people to cheat them out of thousands of dollars, another writes clothes off because she doesn't wanna pay for them). Alright, enough gossip from me!

-Aimee

Aimee - did you find a new job?

Dawn - not yet! I have a few good leads and hope that one of them will turn out :) Thank for asking!

-Aimee

I hope it all works out for you!