Andrea
01-12-2011, 08:01 PM
I applied for a job on line with an chiropractic outfit through craigslist. I never heard back from them, and am now working at a temporary job in a fundraising capacity. Each year, the non-profit for which I work has an annual event for which community "leaders" are recruited to raise money for kids who are sick. It is called a "lock up," and it is a gimmick to make the benefit fun. If the business leader we call cannot come to the event, which is actually a luncheon with other business people, we are instructed to ask for three "partners in crimes," or referrals, if you will.
Another phone operator called a chiropratic office in Windsor, Colorado. She, the Dr., would not attend the event, but ended up giving the names I had furnished as personal references. One was my sister, who I work for in a sign business. Another was an 83 year-old lady we consider our Aunt, but who has actually been a friend of the family for over 35 years; and the last was a man from a local floor-covering company. When the chiropractor gave my sister's business name, instead of giving the operator her number, she gave her my number. Naturally, when the operator called, she got my voice mail, and I was sitting right across the room from her! We thought it was just a coincidence until I looked at the three names, who are unrelated in every way, except for that I used them as references -- and none of the three of them know this chiropractor. This doctor, who obviously did not want to participate in the event, referred people OFF MY JOB INQUIRY. She gave out information that I sent her in confidence so that she would not have to look bad.
I feel like I've been violated. Beyond that, as a job seeker, I am wondering what I can trust on the internet. The job posting was bonafide, and she really is a chiropractor. But she used the information I gave her inappropriately, and I'm wondering if what she did was even legal. Now I don't feel like I can trust anything I see on the internet, and all the resumes I have sent out of Career Builder and Monster.com have me worried. If a potential employer can use abuse my information in such an inapproriate way, it scares me to even think about what might happen to my privacy, let alone my identity.
Can anybody tell me if what she did is even legal? Do I have any legal recourse at all? Now I'm afraid to even look for a job on the internet, and the internet is where one must apply! Not only am I mad, but I'm paranoid that other companies I have sent my information to -- in good faith -- would abuse it for such trivial reasons. All she had to do was say no, but instead she gave out my personal information. I have Four witnesses to this event. I looked up the woman's web page, and have never seen her before. I feel like confronting her, but of course that will end the temp position. If she is going to use my references in such a bad way, what can I do to stop her?
Another phone operator called a chiropratic office in Windsor, Colorado. She, the Dr., would not attend the event, but ended up giving the names I had furnished as personal references. One was my sister, who I work for in a sign business. Another was an 83 year-old lady we consider our Aunt, but who has actually been a friend of the family for over 35 years; and the last was a man from a local floor-covering company. When the chiropractor gave my sister's business name, instead of giving the operator her number, she gave her my number. Naturally, when the operator called, she got my voice mail, and I was sitting right across the room from her! We thought it was just a coincidence until I looked at the three names, who are unrelated in every way, except for that I used them as references -- and none of the three of them know this chiropractor. This doctor, who obviously did not want to participate in the event, referred people OFF MY JOB INQUIRY. She gave out information that I sent her in confidence so that she would not have to look bad.
I feel like I've been violated. Beyond that, as a job seeker, I am wondering what I can trust on the internet. The job posting was bonafide, and she really is a chiropractor. But she used the information I gave her inappropriately, and I'm wondering if what she did was even legal. Now I don't feel like I can trust anything I see on the internet, and all the resumes I have sent out of Career Builder and Monster.com have me worried. If a potential employer can use abuse my information in such an inapproriate way, it scares me to even think about what might happen to my privacy, let alone my identity.
Can anybody tell me if what she did is even legal? Do I have any legal recourse at all? Now I'm afraid to even look for a job on the internet, and the internet is where one must apply! Not only am I mad, but I'm paranoid that other companies I have sent my information to -- in good faith -- would abuse it for such trivial reasons. All she had to do was say no, but instead she gave out my personal information. I have Four witnesses to this event. I looked up the woman's web page, and have never seen her before. I feel like confronting her, but of course that will end the temp position. If she is going to use my references in such a bad way, what can I do to stop her?