can I sue a former employer for giving a bad referenc on me and making me lose a new job that paid more?
478859
You can sue anybody. All you need is a lawyer and a beef. The problem is winning the lawsuit.\n\nYou'll need to consider one important thing: Was the reference accurate? What I mean is that giving a bad reference in itself is not against the law, but giving an inaccurate one is. If the former company is sued by you and they are able to provide documentation that convinces a judge the bad reference was accurate, then you'll lose. If they cannot provide any documentation or proof of their claim, they lose.
216372
I can't answer as to the legality of your situation because I don't know what state you live/work in. But in general, this would not be legal unless there were extenuating circumstances. If you are required to clock in/out and have those records available to you, and you can prove your case, I'd file a complaint with the Labor Relations Board in your state, if you have one (which I'm sure you would). In the end, though, you might lose your job, but then you'll have a valid reason for unemployment benefits. If it turns out to be a discrimination case, you might be able to sue and not have to work again... (well, I'm not really being serious about that one).
806024
If this had been a contract with the company, then you could have sued for breach of contract and they would no doubt have been glad to settle out of court.  The problem is, you were subcontracted and your agency was the employer. Just put it down to experience.  It won't show up on your cv and you wouldn't want to work for such horrible people anyway.
696129
No...screw them, just get another job that's better than the one you had....then when they hear about you, they will kick themselves in the ass!!  ;)
1014539
I had this happen to me,but I was the the old employer.they asked me;dates,rehireable and why the person left,work habits!!!I had a good worker,but she moved out of the state..
650122
Ummm...why would you do something stupid like that and expect a good reference.  No you can't sue him.\n\nAnother thing...you did give adequate notice?  That's another reason to give a bad reference.
870344
The time limit is two years and yes, you can being a suit against them although get a really good atty. because they will make it look like you werent going to file suit until you found that you cannot get a job elsewhere. They should have fired this guy you were not the only one he was harrassing so, they made a wrong choice, in your suit you could ask that he be fired and that you get your job back. Also, if you still talk to anyone else he was doing this too I would suggest you trying to get them to go in with you on this lawsuit.  Just write down as much info as you can about what all he did, when, where etc. Good luck
780543
In most (if not all) states this is illegal.  By law when a prospective Employer calls your past employers they are only allowed to ask fundamental questions like:  Was he/she punctual?\nDid they do their job well?\nHowever knowing this does not really help unless it was for a very high paying job, because you can only sue for an estimate of lost wages from the job loss and you still have to pay an attorney to sue AND then the attorney also gets a cut of the settlement if there is one......
488149
Can I sue you for asking such a stupid question which caused me great mental distress?
355217
It depends on the state and the union contract. The answer is most likely yes because he did not sign anything new saying that he was entitled to the extra money. Sometimes the company values the employee, so they will let you keep the extra money, but I do not believe they have any obligation to let you keep that extra money. \n\nThe flip side is if they have been paying him weekly for five weeks and just figured it out, you can argue that you had a reliance on the new paycheck. Once you is a mistake twice maybe, but five weeks is different. Depends all on how often you get a paycheck too.
470087
call the company you worked for. they should be willing to do that for you.
401294
Why would you do that?... If your new potential employer finds out, you might have difficualties. Make sure you have a good justification for it. You migh want to write a letter to your former company where you explain what you did and why, and have it signed of reception or something, that might protect you if this whole incident hinders you in the future.\n\nBest case scenario, they won't find out.
171361
Yes, they can.\nThey have a reputation to be concerned about, so I really can't blame them.\nIf in the future you are found innocent, go back and try to get your job back.  Until then though, i would just try to find another job.
815079
Theoretically, yes.  The previous employer can say whatever they want when someone calls for a reference as long as it is true.  However, they open themselves up to lawsuits if they do even if it is true and verifiable.  The fired employee can claim defamation of character and the old employer will be forced to go to court to support the claims it made.  Even if they can prove the claims, it is still up to the jury to decide guilty or not guilty.  Sometimes, juries do not listen to facts.  In any event, the prior employer will lose money to defend itself.\n\nIt is usually safer for old employers to not disclose exactly what happened directly but use a little subterfuge.  Such as when the prospective employer calls about a reference say "I am going to have to refer you to our legal department regarding this previous employee."  That says there is something very bad here, but not exactly what.  It lets the prospective employer know that the prior employment had problems.  Sometimes just saying flat out "I not give a reference for this employee." will get the message across.
544259
Most employers are afraid of being sued by a former employee for giving a bad reference.  Most companies have strict policies that they do not give references (positive or negative) on former employees.  In many companies, the only information that they will give on a former employee is to comfirm that they did work there and the dates of service (employment date, termination date) and some will confirm the pay rate.  Many companies will only provide this information if the former employee has signed a form allowing them to give out the information.
1407
The question still isn't easy to answer. Your best bet would be to contact a local attorney, or take the advise of the previous responder.\n\nBut the truth is, this is a free country and they can't make you do anything. The answer might be, however, do you want to continue to work for them and receive a paycheck?
245147
Well, if the facts are as you've described you should consult an attorney regarding the filing of a wrongful termination suit.  Of course, if the company can't pay its bills what's the point?\n\nFile for unemployment -- if your former employer is stupid enough to contest appeal to the Labor Relations board in your state/community -- and find a better job.