Job references after being dismissed for gross misconduct.
Hi there, I was wondering if I could get some clarity and peace of mind with an issue I’m dealing with.
Long story short, 2025 was a horrible year for me; myself and my partner bought a flat together in April of last year and while she was struggling with her own physical and mental health I had to organise everything around the mortgage and all the practicality with the move out/in date. Her mental health continued to deteriorate over the summer of 2025 to the point whereby she became suicidal which subsequently adversely impacted on my own mental health and on my ability to carry out my job in a professional capacity.
At the time, I was working within a local government authority within social work resources. I had been employed by them since June 2023 and have never had any issues at work prior to last summer. My partner at the time was also engaging with the addiction services provided by the local authority. She had asked me if I could check whether there were any updates on her file etc. as she knew I had access to these things given my role.
I was going through a lot at the time and through a lot of pressure and stress, my mental health was in the pits and my professional judgment severely clouded. Before anyone jumps to conclusions, the time of this incident I didn’t have the wherewithal to see that me accessing her file without a business requirement was a total no go due to GDPR and breach of council code of conduct - I simply thought I had a duty of care towards my partner. I don’t dispute what I did was wrong and I take full responsibility and accountability for my actions.
Anyway, all this led to a lengthy investigation, with me being on sick leave for 3 months due to my mental health plummeting down the drain with a mortgage on the line and I was eventually dismissed for gross misconduct 2 days before Christmas.
I have since managed to pick myself up and regain some kind of normality to my life. I was recently offered 2 separate jobs within two different departments at a different local authority which I accepted. I’m currently in the process of going through the pre-employment checks. What I’m most worried about are the references. They have asked me to provide at least two references one of which should be from my most recent employer/line manager - I’ve put down her contact detail and I should say I really got on with my line manager and never had any issues in the office with either her or my work colleagues. I have also provided another 3 references instead of the minimum of at least 2.
I am worried whether the reason for leaving my previous employment would be mentioned by the referee. I know that references have to be factual and an employer can and has the right to mentioned if I had been dismissed for gross misconduct. I have currently been offered a conditional offer from my prospective employer; I don’t have any criminal convictions and I have not been barred from any regulatory bodies as I’ve never been a member of any as such. I’m worried if the gross misconduct is mentioned in the reference, will my prospective employer automatically withdraw their conditional offer or seek to clarify things with me before potentially withdrawing said conditional offer.
Any help or clarity would be appreciated on this. Thanks.