I’m currently employed, but have an interview for a new job. Beforehand, I have to fill out an application. They want to contact my employers including my current one. What should I tell them? I’m not looking to burn any bridges if I don’t accept the position.
No prospective employer should contact your current employer during the interview process, so you should answer, “No, you may not contact my current employer,” and everyone will understand. As for previous employers, you will have to provide references at some point if they want to hire you and they will need to confirm your employment history for a background check, so the answer should be yes — say that you will be happy to provide those references at the appropriate time. The key during the interviewing process is to not raise any red flags or give a prospective employer any reason to hesitate.
I hope you realize how foolish you are, criticizing the legalization of weed and the constraints on employers from taking any adverse action because of an employee’s legal use of cannabis. How is this any different from hiring alcoholics? There are far more alcoholics than pot heads.
I should just print all of the “fan mail” I received regarding my views on this topic. Then the world would see who sounds foolish. Could it be that the profanity and juvenile name-calling is a result of too much bong on the brain? How else to explain the vulgar hostility and the ridiculous argument about the number of alcoholics versus “pot heads”? No one equated smoking weed with a disease such as alcoholism. Most people simply want to walk through Central Park without suffering the effects and stench of secondhand marijuana smoke when we could be smelling dirty water hot dogs and stale pretzels instead. Smoking weed is legal in New York, but not federally and not on the job. But the law makes it all but impossible to discipline someone for impairment at work because you can’t ask or test for it, so good luck trying to hold them accountable. If you were trying to run a business, you would understand.
Gregory Giangrande has over 25 years of experience as a chief human resources executive. Hear Greg Weds. at 9:35 a.m. on iHeartRadio 710 WOR with Len Berman and Michael Riedel. E-mail: [email protected]. Follow: GoToGreg.com and on Twitter: @GregGiangrande