As we all know, when an employee leaves an organization, it isn’t always on a positive note.  Through a resignation or termination, the employment relationship ends, positive or negative, good or bad.  As previous employer’s we are conflicted on what information to provide about the current or former employee during the reference or background checking processes.  Should we tell the new organization the employee was terminated or a poor performer?  Should we tell the new organization that the employee caused conflict and drama or didn’t show up for work on time, missed days, quality issues, etc.?  What if there was a workplace violence issue?  The standard answer for most organizations is; date hired, last position held and last day worked.  What if the new organization questions you, the old employer if the person is eligible for rehire or if you would hire them again?  What do we do then?  In many situations, these are not easy questions to answer.

The five considerations when giving an employment reference:

  1. Applicable state legislation: Many states now have legislation that gives employers “qualified immunity” when we as former employers are providing reference information. “That means you’re protected from civil liability if you’re responding in good faith-in other words, without knowingly providing false or misleading information or acting with malicious intent.”[i]  What does that mean for us in New York State?  “Currently (2005 article), New York employers have a qualified privilege defense available to them when they provide information regarding an employee or former employee’s character…New York has not adopted a reference check immunity law…reference check immunity laws do not protect employers against claims that negative job references were given in retaliation for protected activity under discrimination laws.”[ii]  As of 2005, there were thirty states that had adopted reference check immunity laws, which vary widely throughout the country.  If you have former employees moving to another state, know the state laws prior to providing reference checks or additional information about the employment relationship.

 

  1. Control the Information: The Society of Human Resource Management recommends that we as employer’s limit who can and cannot give references and what information can be provided. It should be the responsibility of the HR professional, manager, general manager, office manager, business owner, etc.  Someone designated with authority that can speak to the employment relationship.  This will ensure consistency in the process throughout the organization.

 

  1. Consistency in the Process: Reference requests should follow the same process for all current or previous employee’s.  “All disclosures should be made only in writing and only upon written request from the prospective employer and with written permission from the employee.”[iii]  Companies are now outsourcing the reference check processes, which ensures consistency.  However, this provides limited information for the future employer.

 

  1. Relevant Facts: Do not give opinions about the employee’s suitability for a prospective job or new position. Even if the employee was an underperformer at your organization, they could be a great fit for the new position.  Use only documented evidence on job performance, when sharing with the prospective employer.  Less said, better defended!

 

  1. Employee Permission: It is recommended that all job candidates complete an application form that includes a release for employers from which they have added as a reference. This form should be consistent across the organization, to ensure equity and avoid discrimination charges.  I recommend obtaining this prior to releasing any information about the current or former employee.

 

As leaders, we need to ensure we are consistent when providing references for all our employee’s; past, current and future workforce.  Updating policies, procedures and processes will provide the foundation on which we can build a consistent process for reference checking and verification.  Documenting work performance and accurate performance reviews will help in providing accurate and relevant work-related information.  Remember that state laws will vary on qualified immunity legislation and these laws like most other’s will continue to evolve through court decisions and the legislative process.  Seek guidance if you are confused or need assistance developing or revising a process.  Be consistent, equitable, stick to the facts and control the information your organization provides during a reference check.

-Matthew W. Burr

[i] https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/0418/Pages/when-giving-references-how-truthful-can-you-be.aspx

[ii] https://nys.shrm.org/sites/nys.shrm.org/files/ReferenceChecking.pdf

[iii] https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/0418/Pages/when-giving-references-how-truthful-can-you-be.aspx

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Published by Mathew W. Burr, MJ-LEL, MBA, MHRIR, GPHR, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CPHR-INT, Chartered CIPD

Mathew W. Burr, MJ-LEL, MBA, MHRIR, GPHR, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CPHR-INT, Chartered MCIPD Lean Six Sigma Black Belt ABOUT: Matthew Burr has over 18-years of experience working in the human resources field, starting his career as an Industrial Relations Intern at Kennedy Valve Manufacturing to most recently founding and managing a human resource consulting company; Burr Consulting, LLC, Talentscape, LLC and Co-Owner of Labor Love, a Labor, and Employment Law poster printing company. Prior to founding the consulting firm, the majority of his career was heavy industry manufacturing and healthcare. He specializes in compliance auditing, training labor and employment law, conflict resolution, performance management, labor, and employment relations. Matthew has a generalist background in HR and operations, while providing strategic HR and operational solutions to his clients, focusing on small and medium sized organizations. He works as an Adjunct at Alfred State University, Tompkins Cortland Community College, and Montgomery Community College. He successfully designed an HR Concentration in the business management major that aligned with both SHRM and HRCI certifications, providing opportunities for students to sit for both the SHRM-CP and aPHR certifications upon completion of the degree, concentration, and internship hours as an Assistant Professor of Management at Elmira College (Retired January 2022). Matthew is also the SHRM Certification Exam Instructor, with a current pass rate of 92% on the SHRM-SCP and 83% pass rate on the SHRM-CP and a combined 88% on both exams over a 7-year period of instructing the course (Elmira College, Collin College & The College of St. Rose). Matthew works as a trainer at Tompkins Cortland Community College, Corning Community College, Broome Community College, and HR Instructor for Certification Preparation for the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). He also acts as an On-Call Mediator and Factfinder through the Public Employment Relations Board in New York State, working with public sector employers and labor unions. PUBLICATIONS: Matthew has over 70+ publications including, American Bar Association (ABA) Experience Magazine, Cornell HR Review, Business Insider, New York State Bar Association (NYSBA), PayScale, Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), and Expert 360 (in Australia). In early 2017, he published his first book, “$74,000 in 24 Months: How I killed my student loans (and you can too!),” proceeded by his second book, which was published in January 2021, “Slay the Student Loan Dragon: Tips and Tricks on How to Conquer the Student Loan Game” and his most recent book, “Unbox Your HR Career” in July 2023. VOLUNTEER WORK: Matthew is currently the New York State Society of Human Resource Management (NYSSHRM) District-Director. EDUCATION & TRAINING: Additional Training & Development:  SHRM Workplace Coaching and Mentoring Recertification Program, 2020  SHRM Foundation Employing Abilities @Work Certificate, 2020  SHRM Foundation Veterans at Work Certificate Program, 2018  Delta County Chamber of Commerce: Delta Force Leadership Program, 2013 FEATURED IN & ON: Matthew was featured on CNN Money, Fast Company, Fits Small Business, Fox News, Magnify Money, Monster.com, My Twin Tiers, Namely, Student Loan Hero, Smart Sheet and CEO Blog Nation, Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI), Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). Burr Consulting, LLC Capabilities Statement General Information: Burr Consulting, LLC Owner: Matthew W. Burr Mission Statement: “Strategically Aligning HR as a Partner for the Success of Your Business” Contact Information: Burr Consulting, LLC What's New in HR Blog Talentscape, LLC Labor Love, LLC (Labor Posters) The HR Support Center The Upstate HR Podcast (607)227-4386 Matthew@Burrconsultingllc.com Facebook: Burr Consulting, LLC LinkedIn: Burr Consulting, LLC Twitter: @Burrconsulting Online Certification Verification: Credibly Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) Number: 080776443 NAICS Codes: 541612, 923130, 54161, 541611, 541613, 611430, 541618, 561312, 561311 SIC: 8742, 8748, 9441, 8748001, 8748026 Our Services HR MANAGEMENT New Hire Orientation; Temporary HR Support; Recruiting and Application Tracking; HR Compliance (ADA, FMLA); Employee Handbook; Policy and Procedure; HRIS; HR Audits; Job Profile Design and Revision; HR Key Performance Indicators; EEO Reporting and Classification; State Unemployment Insurance Services TRAINING & TRAINING DEVELOPMENT Organizational Development; Employee Relations; Workplace Violence; Harassment & Sexual Harassment; Union Awareness; Managerial EMPLOYEE & LABOR RELATIONS Employee Relations Training; Conflict Resolution; Mentoring; Workplace Investigations; Labor Contract Costing; Mediation & Arbitration Prep; Fact-Finding; Workplace Investigations; Coaching & Counseling; Performance Reviews; Contingency Plan Development; Contingency Plan Training; State of New York Public Employment Relations Board (PERB)PERB Mediation and Fact-Finding Panels (Albany, NY covering the Elmira, NY Area) HIRING & RECRUITMENT Applicant Tracking Systems; Metric Development; Interview Training; Workforce Planning; Recruitment; Interviews; Job Offers; New Hire Process POLICY & COMPENSATION Group Plans – Healthcare, Dental, Vision, Group Life, Short- and Long-Term Disability; Retirement – 401(k), Profit Sharing, Roth; Workers Compensation; Total Compensation Design and Strategy; Deferred Compensation Plans; Salary Surveys; Reward Systems; Online Payroll; Customized Payroll Processing; Employee Self Service; Customized Reporting HR COMPLIANCE MATERIALS Burr Consulting, LLC is excited to announce a new partnership with Labor Love LLC, expanding our services to include HR printed materials compliant with industry standards.

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