– This paper aims to examine whether employers are bound to provide references on former employees and the kinds of information they should contain.
– It arrives at a set of conclusions through considering case law in England and Wales.
– It explains why writing a reference is increasingly the responsibility of human-resource specialists in an organization.
– It reveals that employers have a number of options, the choice between which will depend upon the organization’s aversion to risk and its balancing of the obligations felt to employees and their future employers.
– It considers that, in an increasingly risk-averse culture, more and more organizations are providing minimal information in references on former employees and avoiding value judgments.
– It considers the state of the law in England and Wales as regards writing references on former employees.
