Fleaflyfloflum

Well, so much for my dream job

To say i am mortified is the understatement of the year.

On Monday after receiving and signing my terms of employment, being cordially welcomed aboard by letter and truning up for my first day in my new job, i was shiffled into the managers office and told that there was a slight problem and i may not be able to start training that day due to not having my security clearance sorted. I was told it was just a hiccup and to stay with my new manager (she is also my best friend who got me the interview for the job) Later in the day i was told to go home and stay home for next few days while they sorted it all out and bot to worry as i will still be on full pay.
All week i have been biting my nails because my friend told me that there was a big issue because i had lived outside the UK for more than 3yrs Even though i am a full British citizen. born and bred, never lived anywhere else before this, apparently i am NOT allowed to work for the MOD !!!!!!
My new boss was also furious about it and promised to fight my case for me right up to the top commander at the base.
Anyway, all this was to no avail and this afternoon i was told i no longer have a job.

I am devastated. I had all my new contract sent off to my husband in Sydney to add to his visa application saying i could support him until he found work. I had made plans to move over to my other daughters house which is very cose to the MOD HQ. I had even bought myself a new bed to put in her spare room for myself.
I feel as if my whole world has collapsed around me. After nailing this job, i really felt as if all our plans were falling into place and i could start planning getting hubby home with me.

My friend is outraged and feeling very bad about the whole situation. She also told me over the phone that i should not take this lying down and i should sue them, but i am not sure how i would stand in all honesty. She feels they are in breach of their contract to me because they offered me the job and accepted my signed contract etc, and even set up my payroll number in full knowledge of my situation and the fact i had only just arrived back from Australia after several years out of the country.

I really dont know what to do next, apart form look for any old job to get me by.
Does anyone think i would have a case to sue them or is my friend just shooting from the hip in anger?

Fleaflyfloflum

I forgot to add that it is perfectly ok for any immigrants no matter if they come from Afghanistan, Peru or Timbucktoo to work there as long as they been in UK for 3yrs with a Brit passport...go bloody figure!!! :curse:

TruBrit

surely they knew you'd lived abroad for than 3 yrs from your application

contact the CAB for free advice.

Fleaflyfloflum

HI TB

Yes they definitely knew alright. It was all over my application as all my previous addresses for the last 5yrs were listed and we also discussed where i had been and why i had left the country at the very first interview.

I totally accpet the need for scrutiny in the kind of job i was doing but everything about me is completely checkable. It is a ridiculous example of British military bloody mindedness and red tape.

Elvira

I think this may be too specialised an issue for the CAB.

But definitely worth a couple of hundred $$$ for a lawyer's consultation....... assuming the OP can prove that she fully disclosed all the issues that they now claim justifies dismissal.

Also worth looking whether there are any unions that look after people in her profession. Even though she is not a member, they may at least be able to offer some advice.

I would definitely fight this.

TruBrit

CAB will provide free lawyers consultation

TruBrit

it has purely been overlooked and your head is rolling instead of the jack ass who made the error

katesbackagain

Ah, Flea. I don't know what advice I could give you but I'm sorry this happened to you. Hope you get the outcome you want. (((Hugs)))

Elvira

I know - but would they have the specialist knowledge required here?

I would ask at the Motley Fool's legal board to get some more advice - lots of legal eagles posting there: www.fool.co.uk

TruBrit

who knows but it's free and a start imo.

the motley board is really good for advice also.

Fleaflyfloflum

Thanks girls. I will give the fool site a go.

Now i have thought about it some more, i remember that my friend actually put my name forward to her bosses for this job whilst i was still IN Australia!! So there is no way they can say they didnt know.

The issue is that the company i was employed by is a private company working for the MOD. What has happened is their management obviously did not check up on the MOD rulings before offering me the job. BUT.. in saying that they should have known better because my friend informs me that last year a similar thing happened with a South African guy who they had employed for over 6mths before realising he wasnt allowed to be there as he didnt even have a Brit passport!!

dunroving

That is unbelievable!

I am really not a litgous person, but I would definitely say consult a lawyer and seriously consider sueing them.

chance to be

Sorry to hear that Flea, I will pm you
C

......oh and deffo take it further!

JULIEROSE

I'm so sorry you have gone through this. Did the letter/contract say in writing the job was subject to you passing a clearance?

My husband has a TS clearance and we have been down this road twice with the AF. He was put in another office while they took 9 months to finish doing their checks on us. They also had to do a special waiver as I was not American. My husband had been abroad for ten years.

I just have a suspicion the company doesn't want to pay for the clearance to be done as it is more complicated since you have been abroad for a few years. I know for a fact that companies here in the States that have contracts with the government often recruit all the military guys retiring; since they will save $150k; for not having to do a clearance as the guys/girls already have them. The companies even issue a special bonus to their staff for each new person they find with clearance in place.

I just don't buy the 3 year abroad thing since we have been through this albeit still within the military. I am not even an American and they still waivered it. If you were not a citizen that would be another ball game.

I'm sure this is about money. Clearances are expensive and can take up to a year to do especially when they are complex and need police checks etc in foreign countries.

Not that my post helps your situation ... it may give you some idea why the company has decided they are not going through with this. At the end of the day it is about the dollars more often than not.

Good luck.

Fleaflyfloflum

Hi Julie

No the contract says nothing about subject to security clearance. I have double checked that. Their letter basically welcomes me to their employ and the contract is pretty bog standard apart from ramming it down my throat about the secrecy act and confidentiality agreement.

Thanks for outlining the possible reasoning behind it. I did think about that earlier this evening. I can see some of the reasons why they would not want to pay out, but this is a huge huge company not a tin pot outfit. I am not sure it would be wise to mention their name on here so i wont for now, but these people have no excuse to have any confusion over it. They are responsible also for the rebuilding of the Military HQ worth billions of GBP and many other corporate interests in UK and abroad.
If they had said at interview my time out of country was an issue, then fair enough, but to tell me i got the job, put me on payroll, let me turn up for work and then pull the rug out form under me is extremely unfair as i have had to make a lot of changes to fit around this job, which has all been a complete waste of time.

I'm being a whinging pom arent i? ....lol ahhh well...