Quick Question on Nanny References...

[WishICouldGiveUpWork]

Am I right in believeing that one is legally obligated to provide a reference?

Potential nanny "says" ex employer won't speak to me over the phone and may not even give a written reference,despite nanny being there a year.
There is no way I will take her on if I cannot verify this year.

I have told her the ex employer is legally obliged to provide a written reference-am I right?

I haven't ever heard that one. (It's one to give an agency a call about, maybe?)

Poor potential nanny - it is very hard not to give this the obvious interpretation, isn't it. PS we did once take on a nanny whose last job was just a "we confirm that X worked here from [date] to [date]" - and, as it turned out, we shouldn't've.