You decide to quit your job, and you have to do so rather abruptly. Your employer is unhappy about this and expresses their displeasure. They do not want to lose you as an employee, but they are also frustrated with the hassle of having to find a replacement, and it colors the way they view your employment.
The problem is that they start to give you negative reviews or recommendations. When you apply for other jobs with prospective employers in the same industry, they may contact your former employer. That employer then makes it more difficult for you to get a job by speaking negatively about you to these other business owners.
Is it actually defamation?
You may be able to take legal action if your employer is defaming you. If they are angry with you and they are trying to blackball you in the industry and make sure that you cannot get another job, that could be a violation of your rights. It could also cause significant financial harm in terms of lost income or holding your career back, so you may deserve compensation.
But the key lies in whether or not the other business owner is defaming you. This means that they are intentionally saying things that they know are not true or accurate.
For instance, if your former employer just tells the story of how you quit with little notice, they are not defaming you, since that is actually what occurred. But if they start making up stories about how you were never a good employee, you did not get along with the other workers, or they claim that you were embezzling from the company, it may fall into the realm of defamation. They are just trying to hurt your chances of getting another job by intentionally making up untrue stories about your performance.
It can be very frustrating to find yourself in this position, so be sure you know what legal steps to take moving forward.