Legal Question in Business Law in California

A New position I was applying for called my largest customer as a references without my consent.

While in the mid to final interview process with a large horticultural firm for and director position, a management representative call my largest customer for a job reference without my knowledge/consent.

The reason they called my customer because in the past he was an ex supervisor of mine.

I had referenced that my largest customer was the firm that my ex supervisor is the current management which they had knowledge of.

My customer/ex supervisor is very distraught and planning to cease work with my current company

I have revoked my candidacy for the open position of the horticultural firm because of this.

I know this was not ethical, but are their implications on their actions?

Being in the middle of the interview process I did not give any references or discuss with them the option of calling past employers.

They had my past supervisors contact information from current employees of the horticultural firm having worked with my supervisor in the past at other companies.


Asked on 9/23/15, 1:30 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Carl Starrett Law Offices of Carl H. Starrett II

I find it hard to believe that you didn't consider the possibility that your potential new employer would use the information you provided to conduct an investigation into whether or not you were a good fit for them. Potential employers will look you upon on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other forms of social medial to see what type of person. There is nothing nothing illegal immoral or unethical about what they did. You applied for a job and they checked you out. That is very normal.

You asked about implications on their actions. I don't see any implications at all.

Read more
Answered on 9/23/15, 2:02 pm


Related Questions & Answers

More Business Law questions and answers in California