Is it true that it's illegal under English law to give a bad reference about someone?

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Amanda	Yep it is true. You are not allowed to give a bad reference...but you can refuse to give one, which says to me you have been a bad employee... Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

only me	yes it is illegal they only way they can do it is not give a reference at all WHAT IS WITH ALL THE THUMBS DOWN? Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Happy Murcia	Yes it is as it would be classed as liable. A reference can only state that you worked there, what you did and any other glowing references. They can however refuse to give one, if they give a bad reference or write anything derogatory you have a right to sue them Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

homemanager22	yes that's true. an empolyer will usually write very little or refuse to write a reference in these cases Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

jojo	it has to be good or none at all Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Whistler R	Of course not. A reference is intended to be truthful. If you have reason to believe your previous employer is being malicious openly challenge that persons opinion - through the legal system if needed. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

jackie m	Its illegal in the UK - if they were bad time keepers you can tell them that but because you don't like the person you cant say - they were cheeky, bad mannered or bitchy. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Mel	No, it isn't illegal, but there are legal implications to giving references. Most companies choose to verify employment only - title, dates of employment, and salary inforamtion that are provided by the former employee are "verified" by the past employer. Legal implications of giving references - if the reference is poor, and the employee is not given the job because of the reference, the employee may have recourse to sue the employer for preventing him/her from obtaining gainful employment. Likewise, if the reference is good and then the new employee does something bad at the new job, the new employer can sue the previous employer for failing to disclose the employee's shortcomings. For example, if a child care worker had been terminated from the last job for molesting a child, and the employer gave a good reference, and then the child care worker did that at the new employer, the new employer could sue (and would probably win.) Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

k	If your employer does NOT have anything nice to say about you, then all they have to do is confirm the job title, dates you worked for them and what your attendance was like (if you were sick a lot or late arriving). Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

TINYTI	no its not illegal but they have to be able to prove anything bad they say and stand in court and prove it Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

lucy7	They can only give out certain information. However, there is a medical billing company in St Louis whose vp and or personnel manager will ask the person calling if they can pull the records and get back to them. Then, they will blast the former employee. Illegal? Yes. But, who is going to tell? Call the ACLU and file a complaint if you feel you have been wrongfully bashed. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

cissie s	They have to be able to substantiate the reference- The first link below is the best informational source but all the sites give information that will help answer your question - Best advise if you think you will be getting a bad reference from an employer you should be honest with the company you are applying to work with- they will take it into consideration. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Jack	Not illegal but bad etiquette. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

sunshine_today	People make this mistake all the time. Employers can' t say untrue things, but they can say the truth, so if your situation is that you were fired for being 2 hours late 3 times a week, they can say that. Many employers don't or won't say it, they will only verify dates of employment, but they are in fact allowed to say more and some will, some won't. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Al	Your employer can give facts about sickness etc which may reflect badly on you, but they can't give a negative opinion about you. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No