Legal Question in Personal Injury in Florida
I have reason to believe that my former employer has slandered me. Because of downsizing, I was laid off and I received a "glowing letter of recommendation" from him as did another former employee. She found out he told prospective employers that she stole from the company. Here's the catch: The company has since closed down and I have no idea how to prove my suspicions. I have not been able to get a job for the past year and a half. I cannot even get a job at McDonald's or WalMart even though they need the help and are short handed. I applied at a telemarketer and had two interviews. When I called to check on the status of my reference check, I was told they were unable to hire me. They would not disclose the reason. My question is, how do I prove my suspicions?
1 Answer from Attorneys
You will need to hire an attorney who specializes in employment law. If your former company has closed down, it is not likely that your fomer boss is talking to McDonald's or WalMart or the telemarketer job. (how would they reach him?) When you apply for a job, provide a copy of the "glowing letter" to each potential employer. This should "short circuit" any derogatory comments that the employer may hear through the grapevine. The only way to prove your suspicions is to get a court order. In the meanwhile, you may want to do a criminal background check and credit report on yourself. It's possible that there is some sort of misinformation that is popping up in your employment application investigations, and creating a problem. Keep in mind that it's difficult for everyone to find work these days, and if you haven't already applied for unemployment benefits, and you worked long enough to qualify for unemployment, this is a stop gap measure until you do find work.