thenorthernpines's journey

I recently received a job offer from a government agency, which is exciting, but I'm facing a challenge with employment verification from my previous employer. I worked at my last company for 1.5 years before moving on, and during my time there, I had a difficult relationship with the office manager, who was known for her pettiness. Many colleagues left due to her behavior, and I made it clear in my exit interview that I was leaving because of her. Now, my potential employer has been trying to verify my past employment, but they've informed me that my former employer is not responding to their calls or emails. Given that it was a small company with only five employees, I suspect that the office manager has instructed the HR team not to respond to any inquiries about me. I'm concerned that this could jeopardize my job offer, and I'm looking for advice on what I can provide to my potential employer as proof of my previous employment. I know that for government roles, they might be strict about verification, but I'm hoping to find alternative documentation that could help, such as pay stubs or my W-2. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

I recently received a conditional job offer from a government position that I'm really excited about. A friend who works there referred me, and after four months of waiting, I finally got the offer. However, there's a catch: the offer is contingent on my current employer being contacted for a reference check. They want me to give my notice before they reach out to my current job, which makes me really nervous. I love my current role and the pay is good, especially since I'm going through a divorce and have no savings to fall back on. I'm worried that if I give my notice and something goes wrong with the new job offer, I could be left without any job at all. I really need to figure out how to handle this situation. I want to move forward with the new opportunity, but the risk feels too high right now. Any advice on how to navigate this would be greatly appreciated.