headofschool:
Goodday Seniors, I have been on my third interview for a teaching role in design and technology. Although I got almost 15-20 interview invite but I declined to those with sponsorship.

The locations of the schools I have done my interviews were East Finchley, Ilford and Mansfield Woodhouse.

The schools commended my subject knowledge and assessment, behaviour management but gave what I'd like to call flimsy excuses for reasons not to go ahead with hiring. One even said I did not address myself as 'Mr' to the student.

Where do you think I am getting things wrong?? I am refusing to attribute it to anything related to 'racism'.

Same thing with wifey, the hiring team for her admin role in NHS said loud and clear "sincerely, you ticked all the boxes and there is no area we can say you needed to improve but we are sorry, we are just unable to hire you" this was their response on phone call (phone on speaker, so i heard too), after she had gone for the interview.

What tips or advise can you give us, it's getting frustrating

Awww... Sorry. Keep going, your big break would come. It's happened serially here, but would end in praise.

Again, are you sure the rejections were not based on type of visa or number of years left on visa? This is very important - number of years left on visa.

All the best.

OmichaelO:
Guys please,

What can someone do if they suspect their current employer is bad mouthing them to prospective employers. Like whenever it gets to point of reference, the previous place employement is always sorted. However when it gets to current employer everything scatters it has happened with two people and with about 5 different prospective employers.

And this current employer is the one sponsoring them.

If I take the risk of bringing you in on sponsorship, training you on the job etc and then you come to me for reference to go to another company, that thing that gave you the mind to come for the reference will give me the mind to scatter it for you too 😀😀😀.

Your best bet is use your friend in the company for the reference, not the HR or MD.

Viruses:


If I take the risk of bringing you in on sponsorship, training you on the job etc and then you come to me for reference to go to another company, that thing that gave you the mind to come for the reference will give me the mind to scatter it for you too 😀😀😀.

Your best bet is use your friend in the company for the reference, not the HR or MD.

You assuming he's currently on sponsorship. Might not be. But if he is on a free sponsorship, then it's human to feel shenked

Gurus in the house.

Abeg I'm a PhD student in the UK. I have £2,500 in my account and I want to fully sponsor my dad's visiting visa. Dad is not working and has no money in his bank account.

Please, will the ECO agree £2.5k is enough for me to fully sponsor someone? If not, what is the minimum you will advise for me to have in other to sponsor him?

Lexusgs430:


But he would have to self manage the SIPP account...... Is OP brave enough....... 😜🤣

Yes, HMRC gives a % based on contributions..... But your SIPP provider, would also charge you a fee....... 🤣

He/She can put the pension funds into simple low cost index funds like Vanguard. I believe all pension providers charge a fee for management or do you know any free ones?

Viruses:


Wahala o 😀😀😀

But you can send your pounds (like salary) to naira and save in naira for when it appreciate, then you change back to pounds and make profit.

This is how one behaves when infected by you (virus)

ReesheesuKnack:


Let me correct something here.
1. There is no such thing as NECO GCE. When NECO conducted its first Exams in 2000, the 6-3-3-4 system of education was already very firmly in place. NECO conducts Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) but NEVER GCE. As far as NECO is concerned, there is no such thing as GCE. The GCE exams was long, long scrapped before NECO was even established.

2. WAEC used to conduct an exams called GCE, but which has been defunct for much more than 30 years now. The exams WAEC conducts now is the West Africa Senior School Certificate Exams (WASSCE). No such thing as GCE.

PS: Both NECO & WAEC conduct two 2️⃣ Senior School Certificate Exams every year:
~May/June & June/July - Secondary School candidates
and
~ Sept/October & November December for private candidates respectively.

There is no such thing as GCE (anymore).

Back to your question:
YES! The UK recognises the Senior School Certificate Examination conducted by both WAEC & NECO.
Any more questions? Ask.

Hello,
I don't think this is entirely correct. The last time I checked (2006 to be precise), Waec GCE was still there. If it was discontinued later on, I wouldn't know. Everything you said is correct apart from the timelines.

Thanks for your contributions here.

wonlasewonimi:


This is how one behaves when infected by you (virus)

Lolz. Don't you think it's even a possibility that Naira won't be able to leave Nigeria very soon?? Or be leaving in bits, maybe $100 per week?? With this yeye circular from CBN stating IOCs can only repatriate 50% of their earnings in FX... Risky business o

Viruses:


Wahala o 😀😀😀

But you can send your pounds (like salary) to naira and save in naira for when it appreciate, then you change back to pounds and make profit.

No be Juju be that....... 🤣😜

Wetin hin go chop in interim and use pay bills...... Whilst awaiting the magical hands of balablu & cbn, to rescue the naira..... 🤣👐😜

Hi Guys
i want to send some phones to my family members in Nigeria, what is the safest way I can go about it

House, if someone primarily resident in Nigeria wants to buy a house in the UK, what’s the way to go about it?

headofschool:
Goodday Seniors, I have been on my third interview for a teaching role in design and technology. Although I got almost 15-20 interview invite but I declined to those with sponsorship.

The locations of the schools I have done my interviews were East Finchley, Ilford and Mansfield Woodhouse.

The schools commended my subject knowledge and assessment, behaviour management but gave what I'd like to call flimsy excuses for reasons not to go ahead with hiring. One even said I did not address myself as 'Mr' to the student.

Where do you think I am getting things wrong?? I am refusing to attribute it to anything related to 'racism'.

Same thing with wifey, the hiring team for her admin role in NHS said loud and clear "sincerely, you ticked all the boxes and there is no area we can say you needed to improve but we are sorry, we are just unable to hire you" this was their response on phone call (phone on speaker, so i heard too), after she had gone for the interview.

What tips or advise can you give us, it's getting frustrating

Do you have teaching experience here or the necessary teaching qualification? I am assuming this is for a FE school

You have it backwards. Its in Nigeria that you have no power as a minority . If you are feeling helpless here, its because you do not know all the ways you can seek redress.

Luckily for us, nearly everything here is googleable.

Viruses:


In Nigeria, you tribalise me I tribalise you, you discriminate me based on race I return the energy a hundred fold. But here, if you discriminate me racially, what will I do? I then become vulnerable and that is the difference.

And for the records, we are trying to fight tribalism in Nigeria.

I believe lexus posted this link
https://www.gov.uk/work-reference

It's probably best not to apply any sort of Nigerian logic to things here. What you just described is illegal here as any bad reference must be backed up by hard evidence. If your employee sues you, they ll never have to work again.

Viruses:


If I take the risk of bringing you in on sponsorship, training you on the job etc and then you come to me for reference to go to another company, that thing that gave you the mind to come for the reference will give me the mind to scatter it for you too 😀😀😀.

Your best bet is use your friend in the company for the reference, not the HR or MD.

OmichaelO:
Hi Chief, no sir, we didn't take a bus.

we rented a car, it cost 25 a day. it can be lesser depending on period

I think about 4 hours from Tirana, but we didn't go from Albania, we went from Ohrid, Macedonia. but from Sarande back to Tirana it took us about 3 and half without stops.

the weather wasn't bad high of 17 and low of 12 late November (you know compared to UK, this weather is very good).

you will definitely enjoy driving tbh, especially if you are going with people. when i checked price for bus it showed like 35-50 euros for return ticket and they were going once a day.

Thanks Chief. This car hire thing, fear dey catch me as some of these countries have roads built on hills, I don’t want to want to drive and fall into a river Lol

OmichaelO:
Guys please,

What can someone do if they suspect their current employer is bad mouthing them to prospective employers. Like whenever it gets to point of reference, the previous place employement is always sorted. However when it gets to current employer everything scatters it has happened with two people and with about 5 different prospective employers.

And this current employer is the one sponsoring them.

Bro you don’t have to use a reference for a current employer. Just tell them you can’t and offer the alternative of payslips, or other document options. Or better still, if you are friends with someone in the organisation, use them instead.

Viruses:


In Nigeria, you tribalise me I tribalise you, you discriminate me based on race I return the energy a hundred fold. But here, if you discriminate me racially, what will I do? I then become vulnerable and that is the difference.

And for the records, we are trying to fight tribalism in Nigeria.

How?

missjekyll:
I believe lexus posted this link
https://www.gov.uk/work-reference

It's probably best not to apply any sort of Nigerian logic to things here. What you just described is illegal here as any bad reference must be backed up by hard evidence. If your employee sues you, they ll never have to work again.

I did not mean I will fabricate things against you. As an employer, I can easily pick up things I could ordinarily overlook and use it against you in referencing and it will be justifiable. You won't know you've committed certain blunders that I overlooked until you take me to court and I present evidence.

That aside, what do you mean by the bolded? Will the employee take over the company if he wins?

Goodenoch:


How?

As you ask me so, who I go ask?

Viruses:


I did not mean I will fabricate things against you. As an employer, I can easily pick up things I could ordinarily overlook and use it against you in referencing and it will be justifiable. You won't know you've committed certain blunders that I overlooked until you take me to court and I present evidence.

That aside, what do you mean by the bolded? Will the employee take over the company if he wins?

That's not the way it works.

Free legal advice - Highly recommend you never ever try this if you're in a position to give a reference. I know it's an anonymous forum so feel free to disregard the advice - some people learn best by doing and getting first-hand experience, anyway

.

Viruses:


I did not mean I will fabricate things against you. As an employer, I can easily pick up things I could ordinarily overlook and use it against you in referencing and it will be justifiable.

No,you can't.

You won't know you've committed certain blunders that I overlooked until you take me to court and I present evidence.

That aside, what do you mean by the bolded? Will the employee take over the company if he wins?

I mean damages. They can get a nice chunk of change from you

Goodenoch:


That's not the way it works.

Free legal advice - Highly recommend you never ever try this if you're in a position to give a reference. I know it's an anonymous forum so feel free to disregard the advice - some people learn best by doing and getting first-hand experience, anyway

Perhaps I don't know how certain things work.

But if you have a habit of joining online microsoft teams meetings late for instance, I do not complain or caution you against it, I only note it in your file. Can I not state that in your reference and when the need arise, I use the attendance sheet generated by Microsoft teams that shows the time each person joined the meeting as evidence?

Efftyy:



Yes I have been driving since I arrived this abodo UK.

Haa. You get mind o. But seriously how did you transition from driving on the right to driving on the left? How did quickly understand the difference in road structure btwn Naija and UK? What if you made mistakes that got the attention of the police?

Many questions on my mind o. You try o

Viruses:


Perhaps I don't know how certain things work.

But if you have a habit of joining online microsoft teams meetings late for instance, I do not complain or caution you against it, I only note it in your file. Can I not state that in your reference and when the need arise, I use the attendance sheet generated by Microsoft teams that shows the time each person joined the meeting as evidence?

Yes you can. As long as the information provided is fair and accurate, non-discriminatory, and can be backed up if needed, then it's up to the employer/company policy how much detail they provide. For example, you can choose to comment or answer questions on the employee's sickness or absence record.

Zahra29:


Yes you can. As long as the information provided is fair and accurate, non-discriminatory, and can be backed up if needed, then it's up to the employer/company policy how much detail they provide. For example, you can choose to comment or answer questions on the employee's sickness or absence record.

A sickness or absence record is one thing. It's a matter of fact and not disputable. The employee will be aware of what's on their record.

Formal disciplinary procedures can be notified as well.

But compiling 'things the employee did wrong' without ever putting them to the employee formally and making them aware/giving them fair hearing, but yet consistently detailing those allegations in references? I'd bet my bottom penny that no employment tribunal in this country will agree that that is fair.

Zahra29:


Yes you can. As long as the information provided is fair and accurate, non-discriminatory, and can be backed up if needed, then it's up to the employer/company policy how much detail they provide. For example, you can choose to comment or answer questions on the employee's sickness or absence record.

That was my point.

Perhaps he thought I would fabricate stories, I won't fabricate stories, I will simply bring up things that I would ordinarily overlook.

Goodenoch:


A sickness or absence record is one thing. It's a matter of fact and not disputable. The employee will be aware of what's on their record.

Formal disciplinary procedures can be notified as well.

But compiling 'things the employee did wrong' without ever putting them to the employee formally and making them aware/giving them fair hearing, but yet consistently detailing those allegations in references? I'd bet my bottom penny that no employment tribunal in this country will agree that that is fair.

The information I have provided is true, not false. It is well documented, none discriminatory and has verifiable evidence. Whether the company was fair in it's policy of not disciplining every employee post every single or recurring err is another thing.

Just so you know, the company could also have brought these things to the employee's notice, give them fair hearing etc and still mention them in references because doing those things does not invalidate what happened.

Goodenoch:


A sickness or absence record is one thing. It's a matter of fact and not disputable. The employee will be aware of what's on their record.

Formal disciplinary procedures can be notified as well.

But compiling 'things the employee did wrong' without ever putting them to the employee formally and making them aware/giving them fair hearing, but yet consistently detailing those allegations in references? I'd bet my bottom penny that no employment tribunal in this country will agree that that is fair.

What if the prospective employer sent out a comprehensive reference questionnaire, as many do, and the current employer decides to answer fully instead of sending out a template response like most large organisations do.

Some questions might probe the candidate's absence and punctuality record as well as other aspects of their performance, and leave space for examples. So if the current employer decides to answer candidly e.g.

Q: Please comment on the employee's ability to work well within a team, providing examples where possible

A: Employee got on well with his team members and supervisors. However, although it wasn't a disciplinary matter, it was noticed on occasion that he joined team meetings quite late and sometimes skipped important team meetings without giving a valid explanation

I don't see why the employer would be penalised by a tribunal if he has receipts e..g Teams records to back up his response.

His response could be seen to be neutral and fact based and if cleverly written could easily mask his true intentions.

Viruses:


The information I have provided is true, not false. It is well documented, none discriminatory and has verifiable evidence. Whether the company was fair in it's policy of not disciplining every employee post every single or recurring err is another thing.

Just so you know, the company could also have brought these things to the employee's notice, give them fair hearing etc and still mention them in references because doing those things does not invalidate what happened.

You're missing the point.

Your first post talked about writing things that you've been silent about. In your own words: "You won't know you've committed certain blunders that I overlooked until you take me to court and I present evidence."

Obviously if the employee has breached policy and they have been queried or disciplinary measures (such as warnings) have been documented, then sure you can fairly and accurately include those in a reference.

Surely you can see how those are completely different scenarios.

Anyway, I tire of this debate, feel free to do what you've said sometime sha. It'll be clearer to you then why the vast majority of organizations in the UK choose to simply state when an employee worked and their JD, and only talk about negatives in the worst circumstances like fraud. Even minor queries are usually left out just to avoid ET risk.

Zahra29:


What if the prospective employer sent out a comprehensive reference questionnaire, as many do, and the current employer decided to answer fully instead of sending out a template response.

Some questions might probe the candidate's absence and punctuality record as well as other aspects of their performance, and leave space for examples. So if the current employer decides to answer candidly e.g. "employee works well in a team,and although it wasn't a disciplinary matter, it was noticed on occasion that he joined meetings quite late and sometimes skipped important meetings without giving a valid explanation"

I don't see why the employer would be penalised by a tribunal if he has receipts e..g Teams records to back up his response.

The OP is talking about a situation where the employee is not given warnings in all these instances because according to him he'll only keep telling reference requesters, while keeping his 'joker' hidden to bring out in court.

In such an instance how will the OP show that the employee did not give valid explanations in the absence of documented warnings/queries? What will he use to establish that the explanations were not valid?

If he starts to write down verbal discussions and compile them, how will he prove that his version of events is correct if those are not presented to the employee to countersign as being accurate? It'll be his word against theirs in court, no? Or will he begin to make audio recordings - I can see the ICO having a field day with that one.

In all of these scenarios as well, it'll be incredibly easy to prove that the OP is being vindictive and unfair by keeping silent on performance issues while communicating that to the employee's potential employers.

P.S. There's also the separate data protection issue of whether it'll be appropriate to share an employee's meeting attendance records with other organizations down to the time when they joined and left meetings, but that's a separate issue I'd guess the ICO would be interested in.

Edit: see the government's guidance on references: https://www.gov.uk/work-reference It specifically cites warning letters as a way employers can back up their references. OP is proposing to deliberately avoid warnings. It'll be a walk in the park for that employee's lawyers to prove malice.

Good day house. Abeg, who knows any unlimited sim contract I can use, and how much is it?