Background Checks to Current Employers

[Megalith]

Okay, so I was going through an online application process for some work on the weekends to supplement my full-time income, and they ask for a full work history that includes your current employer. Obviously, background checks will be done upon consideration, so I backed out pretty quickly.

Has anyone actually been in a situation where they were applying only for some part-time work on the weekends, and had a prospective employer call their current employer? Was it a disaster?

 

[keithp]

I don't think a current employer is going to mind you picking up work on the weekends, as long as it doesn't interfere with your current job and it's not a direct competitor or you've signed some type of non-compete agreement. Depending on the size of your company they may just call your HR and verify your work status and history, and your immediate supervisor won't even know. Just the same it's probably a good idea to telll him/her that you need some extra money and are going to pick up some part-time work. Chances are they won't care. What type of work are you in?

 

[mitch079]

Yeah man, let them know. Otherwise, they might think you're going to leave and hand you your walking papers. Another option is to see if they'll give you a raise.

 

[berzirk]

Something is fishy. Why in the hell would you care if a potential employer contacts your current one, so long as the hours don't overlap? I'm in an application process where towards the end of it, they will absolutely contact my current employer, but then they could still elect not to hire me. That's a much worse situation to be in.

 

[JJSP]

If nothing else, you should hope they'd contact your employer and hope that they'd recommend you.

 

[dmaul1114]

I can see some cause for concern though. If you want to stay at your current employer, then having other places contact them could screw you out of promotions as the higher ups think you're looking to leave and thus aren't committed to your current job long-term.

So if it's just part time work, I'd tell your supervisor that he/she or HR may get contacted for recommendations as you applied for some part time jobs to make some extra money on the side.

Now if you don't care about your current job long-term, then no reason to worry about it.

 

[Stoic Person Eater]

I work a part time job on top of my full time job and I am straight up with them about it. There are potential for schedule conflicts sometimes, but I work it out. Full time job takes the top priority and you need to let you boss know prior to someone calling about a recommendation. Like everyone else said, I don't see why this would be a bad thing unless you're terrible at your main job.

 

[RAMSTORIA]

[quote name='keithp']I don't think a current employer is going to mind you picking up work on the weekends, as long as it doesn't interfere with your current job and it's not a direct competitor or you've signed some type of non-compete agreement. [/QUOTE]

virtually every employer has some type of non-compete agreement. so as long as you arent in violation of that you should be fine. just tell your boss you're trying to get a gig on the weekends for extra income. id be shocked if they cared. as long as its not a competitor and the hours dont conflict that is.

 

[packerfan10]

Let me tell you a horror story about livescan and how far some employers will go.

Let me tell you how stupid livescan (or as most call it livescam can be). My friend was going to get a internship at the National Weather Service in Oxnard, California. He had gone to school and everything for a degree in meteorology. So on the day before he was going to start he gets a letter from the head of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) saying something came up in the live scan and not only was his internship rejected he can't work for any government agency in that field for 2 years. So after months of going back and forth and writing to members of congress and stuff he finds out why his internship got rejected. It turned out it was because he helped make a 15 second clip of downtown la getting destroyed by an asteroid and it got about 45 view on youtube. Thanks to the patriot act he was considered a domestic threat.