References

[brucemillar]

What he said.

Twaddle.

There is no such thing in the UK as "standard reference format "

You, as the employer are supposed to ensure that you remain consistent in responding to ALL reference requests using the same format that you decide.

This is why most large companies will insist that All requests are passed to HR and that No personal references are given. It is NOT illegal to give a bad reference. It is however open to legal recourse if the person you refer too can show that you discriminated, were not honest, used non-factual statements in an effort to influence any future employee to your views.

If you decide to disclose sickness - Fine your choice. No problem. You must then ensure that you disclose sickness in every reference request for every ex-employee and disclose that in the same format that you used for the first employee. The same applies to Salary, Age, Sex etc. However the format is your choice. The responses are also your choice.

Now.. You must then apply this to everything in that reference or risk future claims of discrimination.

So if you say that Fred worked for from xx to yy. But then elect to say no more. You could be on shaky ground of you state that Bill worked from xx - yy and was an asset to your company and would make a great future employee - blah blah.

And how would Bill know this. Well Bill if smart will get an employment lawyer or his mate to write to you as company xx and ask for a reference. He then gets Annie who was shagging in the storeroom before you caught them at it to do the same. Bingo. See you in court.

So. If you fail to mention Fred's sickness Record (be it good or bad) but do mention Dave's sickness record you are open to claims of discrimination.

Anyway. What do I know?

 

[IanA2]

Still i would love you to write me a reference.

Sent from my iPhone using MBClub UK

Ok, I'll bite. "

Bruce likes to think he's a nice guy and that he knows everything.

On the former point however his writing belies this, and he is inclined to bury sarky little asides and put downs in his apparently civilised manner. A well-mannered thug was an expression used by that well known American lyricist Jack Warshaw.

On the latter, he just won't be told, he always knows better, he has a very clear view of his world, and can be seemingly subtly contemptuous but in a somewhat puerile manner discordant with the perceptions of others. He expresses his views in a forthright, often incorrect, manner, however he will probably grow out of this bluster, which may be residual to some traumatic experience in his past.

You asked.

 

[brucemillar]

Gentlemen... Gentlemen...

There is no issue with sick leave records....

It is simply a question of how to deal with the References issue... I think the 'short and actual' approach will be the most appropriate here.

Thank you all!

Mark. There will be an issue if you dont follow Ian's advice and disclose it ;ˆ)

Good luck in this. These things are never nice and often personally challenging. Short is Good.

 

[acej]

As others have said, a references legal minimum is very little. In the UK, anyone getting a reference of the legal minimum is code for "there are issues". The problem I've seen is certain international organizations (particularly American and German), have a template reference document (with the legal minimum), and refuse to issue anything else. This often gets mis-interpreted by british companies... M.

I work for an American company and we provide confirmation of employment, job title and start and end date thats it.

 

[brucemillar]

Ok, I'll bite. "

Bruce likes to think he's a nice guy and that he knows everything.

On the former point however his writing belies this, and he is inclined to bury sarky little asides and put downs in his apparently civilised manner. A well-mannered thug was an expression used by that well known American lyricist Jack Warshaw.

On the latter, he just won't be told, he always knows better, he has a very clear view of his world, and can be seemingly subtly contemptuous but in a somewhat puerile manner discordant with the perceptions of others. He expresses his views in a forthright, often incorrect, manner, however he will probably grow out of this bluster, which may be residual to some traumatic experience in his past.

You asked.

Aha. Internet psychoanalysis. A new science in it making and all here on MC club. Whoop WHoop.

Ian you have never met me, don't know me, have no idea what I do for a living or in my own time. But you now profess to know all the above. Why. Because you used to write references for school kids.

I like you, have no knowledge of you or your personal life. I know you say are out of threads but then continue to post in them. I know that you write references for schools kids (must try harder - plays well).

I do not judge you or what you write or why you get so angry you feel you have the need to write it.

I am more concerned here with not giving Mark advice that could see him in trouble. That is my sole reason for responding.

I assume that references (sorry for the pun) are intended as insults. You should be more thoughtful, please. You have no idea about my past or trauma. It is not called for.

 

[E270 Owner]

Latecomers welcome. See post number 7

I thought I would reiterate it before it got out of ha......................

owh well never mind too late again.


https://www.gov.uk/work-reference












.

 

[Meldrew2]

***** reaches for beer and nachos *****

 

[davidjpowell]

Just another day on MBlucb....

 

[Spinal]

Right, bringing the thread back on topic…

With regards to personal references - where does linkedIn fall into the pile?

I had a client who had made a number of "recommendations" on linkedIn; and then was told by his employer's HR team to remove these as they could be portrayed as being from the company…

 

[markjay]

Was this on his own private Linkedin account... ?

 

[brucemillar]

Social Media is a minefield. Without seeing the exact comments then I could not say. I would however hazard a guess that the employer feels that they have strong enough grounds to make the request (as in they spoke to their lawyer first).

It may simply be (as stated earlier on here) that more and more companies are avoiding possible litigation by invoking their own company policy. This is usually along the lines of:

All reference requests and responses are dealt with by HR to ensure a singular, consistent response. As an employee of company xx his reference could be read as being in breach of the above.

 

[brucemillar]

Social media trawling is now a standard work tool of many HR departments. It is also used by many people to discover what others have to say about them. I know of more than one "Senior" director who on a weekly basis Google's his own name to check what is published about him.

Several recent cases have seen "unfair dismissal"claims thrown out on the basis of what the employee chose to post or allow to be posted on Social Media. This includes pictures, video and comments.

 

[Spinal]

Was this on his own private Linkedin account... ?

Yes, indeed. That said, on the recommendations, linkedin post something on the lines of:

Anakin Skywalker
Project Manager at Rebel Alliance

So it does have the company name there...

M.

 

[Meldrew2]

Former employers fear being honest in references even for good candidates | Mail Online

Just saw this article - coincidence? or does the journalist drive a MB?