Employee reference

[SignedUpJust4This]

Asking for a friend:

An ex member of my team has been sacked for very serious offences (think major stealing) and has now contacted me asking for a reference letter. He does have some good qualities but I couldn't write an honest reference without mentioning his unreliability and dishonesty.

Do I just refuse to do the reference? Do I do one that mentions his good qualities and glosses over his mistakes? Or do I do a frank and honest reference? I like the guy and feel bad for him as he made these mistakes during some dark times in his life. Don't know what to tell him.

Refer it to your HR dept.

I wouldn’t do a personal reference in those circumstances. I’d say you don’t do them and they can contact HR for the standard employment reference which is usually only dates of employment and reason for leaving.

The reference my company gives out is standard. Jebus was employed in fancy bank Ltd from 2010 to 2019.

Yes he wants a personal reference for these reasons. He knows HR standard ref will not be good. Gonna have to say no aren't I?

Team leaders and managers in my company are expressly not allowed to write references. They have to go through HR. Do you not have a similar policy?

Well they dont really have a 'proper' HR Dept or a policy but I'm aware that this is the stance most companies would take. Thanks for your advice. You've confirmed what I thought. I'm going have to let him down.

Do not write a reference even in a personal capacity. Refuse. Or tell him that you would be in breach of company policy or something.

Our policy is just facts, we don't even put reason for leaving just job title and employment to and from dates. Just give him that or refuse.

If you personally liked him, I would write the refrence.

Of course you say no! Dont be silly. Hes a criminal.

I’ve just written requesting references for people we’re about to interview, using my organisation’s standard reference request form. This includes a direct question as to whether the person has been through a disciplinary procedure in the last 12 months, and the request that information supplied be factual and accurate.

So what are you going to say? X worked for us between these dates. They are highly skilled at bean counting. They were dismissed for stealing.

You can’t leave it out, can you?

I would just advise him that you can’t in good faith provide an honest reference because of what happened in the lead up to his exit, and you wouldn’t feel comfortable doing so. He may be upset but you don’t owe him anything.