Case study: unsatisfactory references
We provide a case study that looks at a situation in which an employer wants to withdraw a job offer that it has made to a potential employee because it receives an unsatisfactory reference.
The employer also receives a request for a copy of the reference from the subject of that reference.
- Topic of the week: References - case study 2 To avoid liability for notice pay if they withdraw a job offer, employers should make job offers conditional on the receipt of satisfactory references.
Also
The References section of the HR & Compliance Centre employment law manual explains the law relating to giving references, while Making job offers looks at references and the recruitment process.
There are a number of model policies and documents relating to references in the HR & Compliance Centre policies and documents section, including a Policy on giving and requesting references and a Letter providing a reference for a former employee.
The HR & Compliance Centre FAQs section provides answers to questions such as What are the duties of an employer if it supplies a reference? and What rights of access do employees have to job references?
