Google Maps No Longer Lets You Post Negative Reviews About Your Crappy Job (gizmodo.com.au)

From a report: Google has updated its Maps policies to ban certain business reviews left by former employees. In a new section of the Google Maps "User Contributed Content Policy," Google now labels reviews "about a current or former employment experience" as a "conflict of interest." Originally, only current employees were barred under the policy. The new rules, quoted below, went into effect on December 14.

Comments

Re: Thanks Trump

[stealth_finger]

Your post is still there, at the top, for all to see, so shut the fuck up moaning.

Re:Why would you do that?

[Solandri]

Just to give a window into what it's like from the other side, when I was managing a company with 60 employees, we had to fire one of them. He was head of his department and we were pretty sure he was embezzling (his replacement eventually confirmed this when he went through a half year of purchase orders and compared to what was in inventory). About a month later I got a phone call from the company he'd applied for a job at - he had given me as a reference.

I wasn't sure what I was allowed to say so gave the excuse that I was way too busy and could they please call back the next day. We had unlimited phone access to employment lawyers as part of our employment liability insurance, so I called them up and explained the situation. They told me flat out that unless we had rock-solid proof he was embezzling, under no circumstances should I state that as the reason we had let him go. I couldn't mention any of our suspicions or circumstantial evidence either. We couldn't (or shouldn't) mention any negatives in his reference unless we had documentation on file to back it up (like signed formal reprimands - I had always wondered why we had to have 2 other people in the room with the employee when we gave a reprimand, and why the employee was required to sign them).

The next day when they called back I had to water down our experience with him as "he didn't fit well with the company." I stammered and hesitated while saying it, and I think I succeeded in getting the message across that there was a lot more to it than that but I wasn't legally allowed to say it. I understand now why there's an art to double entendres and backhanded compliments when it comes to job references.

So the distinguishing factor isn't low-level vs high-level employee. It's "differences" when it's on the record and the company doesn't have rock-solid proof (i.e. they could be sued for libel or slander). It's "burning bridges" when it's off the record or the company has rock-solid proof. High-level employees just get the "differences" explanation more often because they're better at covering their butts than low-level employees.

Re:Why would you do that?

[DutchSter]

My favorite reference seeking question is "would you hire them back?" When the answer is "no", how it is said does speak volumes.

No need for any more details than that. Although I will say that while many companies do take the tight lipped approach there are also many that will talk your ear off for an hour if you let them.

Re:Why would you do that?

[mjwx]

Why would you publicly defame current or former employers? Not only is it rude, it's not graceful nor professional in any way to burn bridges on exit.

Usually it's because the employer did not handle your exit in any manner that could be remotely considered graceful or professional.

I left my last employer under such circumstances, I also managed to create enough problems that they ended up giving me 3 months of "gardening leave" in order to avoid a suit. That was one of two unwritten agreements between us, the other would be that they wouldn't give me a negative reference and I wouldn't slag off the company (which was struggling to find staff as it was).

I have nothing kind to say about that company, in fact I consider joining it the biggest mistake of my life, staying there the second biggest. However I'd only tell someone the company and the details in person.

It is a perfectly natural response to want some revenge on someone (or some company) that you feel has wronged you. Even though Google Maps no longer allows it (their house, their rules) there are plenty of options like Glassdoor, various social media, your own website.