should I let employers contact current boss? is it a red flag not to?

[Anonymous]

Hi, I am job hunting, and applying for jobs. On some on-line applications, they ask for your supervisor's contact info and if they can contact the supervisor. Some of these just say Yes; No. Others say Yes; No; Yes After Offer.

Can I just say no, don't contact current employer, or will that be a red flag? My supervisor would have some good things to say, but is also a bit unpredictable. I plan to provide another secondary supervisor there as a reference. So I would like to avoid listing main supervisor, unless that makes a clear problem to prospective employers so that I better list her so they don't assume the worst.

[Anonymous]

I don't think it's a red flag. In my experience as a hiring manager it's pretty standard to say "no."

[Anonymous]

Just say no. It's completely acceptable. And if they do, you can sue. I did and settled for $250,000.

[Anonymous]

OP, here, thanks. Glad to hear its acceptable. For a past job, before they would hire me, they told me they had to talk to my current boss, would not hire me without doing so. So I let them, but it was awkward, because what if they talked to my boss and then decided not to hire me, and then they had also alerted my boss to the fact that I was looking. So I'm not sure how common that approach is.

Are they not really allowed to do that?

[Anonymous]

Don't put yes on the application, but do say yes later if that's necessary for an offer. I actually think its a red flag to have a yes for it on the app, bc it's basically an acknowledgment that your current employer knows you're looking for a new job. The most likely reason they would know is if you've been asked to leave.

[Anonymous]

No it's not a red flag and is the norm. If they have to confirm your salary and position with your current employer they can do it after they've extended an offer and only with your explicit permission.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't put yes on the application, but do say yes later if that's necessary for an offer. I actually think its a red flag to have a yes for it on the app, bc it's basically an acknowledgment that your current employer knows you're looking for a new job. The most likely reason they would know is if you've been asked to leave.

Wow you are paranoid.

[Anonymous]

I've put no for a current supervisor other than a situation where everyone was getting laid off/ company bankruptcy. If you don't get the job and your supervisor knows you are unhappy/looking then the pressure will be on to get a new job ASAP and you can find yourself getting written out of good assignments because you will be leaving anyway. If you are leaving as a term in lieu of being fired, you really wouldn't want the current supervisor contacted because you aren't likely to get a strong reference.

[Anonymous]

The only employer I've had insist on contacting my current boss was the Feds. And they only do it as a formality after they have already extended you the offer. As long as your current boss doesn't have something really awful to say, you're good to go. At the same time, I was nervous enough about it that I had them contact a partner in the firm I was personally close to who I knew would not hold it against me if I decided not to take the Fed job after all.