Reference Ace › Guides › You were sacked. What does a reference say in NZ?

You were sacked. What does a reference say in NZ?

The worst-case scenario, handled honestly.

The short version

What they can say

If asked directly and it is true, a former employer can confirm you were dismissed. They can also decline to elaborate, and many do.

What usually happens

Many employers confirm dates and title only. Some give a factual account. Plan for the first and prepare honestly for the second.

Your referees from that job

The manager who dismissed you is not your only option. Peers, team leads and stakeholders saw the work and can speak to it.

Where Reference Ace fits in

The honest version of this problem is solvable, and it lasts. No usable referee? We check real examples of your work, confirm they're yours, and vouch for them openly as an independent reviewer. Got referees? We brief them properly, run a practice of the exact call employers make, and use the consent rules that keep your current employer out of it until you have signed. Nothing to hide, nothing that unravels in year two.

Common questions

open>

Must I disclose a dismissal?

Where an application asks directly, yes, honestly. Lying there is a representations-clause dismissal waiting to happen.

Can I explain it in the interview?

Yes, briefly, honestly, and with what changed. We script this with clients.

Will every employer find out?

Not every one, but background checks in some industries will. Honesty scales, cover-ups do not.

No referee? Show us your work

Reference Ace checks real examples of your work, confirms they're yours, and vouches for them to employers by name, always as an independent reviewer and never as a former boss. Got a referee already? We brief them and run the practice check before a real employer calls.

See how it works and pricing