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Comment by h2odragon | Hacker News Reader

Just after my daughter was born, I tried to use some of my time off to go interview for a new job. Not "recieveing an offer" as such but attempting to realize a couple of standing offers: "if you ever get tired of working there we have a place for you here."

We're in TN and I need to go have face to face meetings with people in New Mexico and Utah. And can't let my boss know: which I failed at.

Drove out and discovered that my boss had heard that I was looking for other employment, he called ahead to the folks I had lined up interviews with (and several others) and spun them a story that had them refuse to meet me and had the police come check out whatever it was they'd heard 3rd or 4th hand.

5,000 mile road trip, there and back again. In 5 days. Didn't find out the whole story for a couple years. At least I got to drive past the VLA radio telescope.

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If anyone ever calls me up to tell me the person that is going to interview at my company is a bad apple, I’d see that as a huge red flag for the boss.

If it's about an ex-employee it's at least _possible_ that they're actually trying to help you, but it doesn't even make sense for a current employee. You want to warn me that this person is so awful that I shouldn't even consider hiring them, but you haven't fired them yourself or you aren't happy about the person you hate but can't fire for some reason choosing to leave on their own?

This.

I'd have half a mind to call their boss and let them know... but I'd just be making the whole thing worse.

Just let the applicant know...

I felt really bad about your experience. Nobody should be treated that way. I also felt envious that you had seen the VLA. I've always wanted to see it but never got around to it. But mostly, I admire that you are able to see the good things while bad things happen. Most of us are not able to do that and miss all the good things that happen around us while we go through the bad experiences of life.

That's terrible. Hope things worked out for you after that.

I hope you quit your job after that? No way I could keep working for someone after they did that.

Very shortly thereafter, yes. I was vital to the business but they didn't know that, so I spent a few months longer than I should have trying to keep them from blowing up. Totally foolish and futile in hindsight.

I'd like to tell the whole story, but i can only get little bits out with more humor than bitterness.

> "if you ever get tired of working there we have a place for you here."

I highly doubt this is an actual option for employers in 2022. In their mind, they have a seat and need someone to fill it.

How did your boss know your interview targets, much less the contact points? Unless you told someone, no employer would reference check you before you even came to interview. This sounds a bit loose.

Edit: if it’s true, go to HR and get that person immediately fired.

No HR, 15 years ago, too.

This was a small circle of specialist publishers that commonly worked together. There weren't but a dozen or so people on his list; mine was 6, 3 of which I was going to see on that trip.

Sounds like an easy case to win.

sounds like what your boss did might have been illegal

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