A friend is in trouble at work, he had a lot of disputes with his boss, and now it has come back and bitten him. He had a couple of days sick and played golf. Well apparently they have rung the golf course to check if he was playing that day, and the club have confirmed it. Yes, he did pull a fast one, but is an employer allowed to do this? Also, is he better to resign, as if he is sacked they can disclose that to a prospective employer I think. Thanks for any info.
Yes the employer is allowed to check up although it's ethically questionable.
Yes an employer is allowed to disclose the fact that he was sacked. The only time an employer can't give a bad reference is if they can't back it up with evidence - which they can when someone was fired.
If he is resigning seek a reference at same time and try and agree terms in it. Maybe he was a good timekeeper etc. He needs a statement to cover his time there and duties.