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I have been asked by a company to give a reference for a previous employee.
Firstly I was never approached by that employee to give a reference, and if I had been would have told her that I couldn't - because -
She was dismissed by us for various reasons about 18 months ago.
I actually cannot think of a single positive thing to say about her so -
Is it better to decline to give a reference rather than tell her about her performance and character in a very negative way?
I guess the fact that I decline will convey a message of my opinion anyway.
And all I would want to say is  - you poor sods - don't touch her with a bargepole as you will regret it big time!!
So - refuse to offer a reference - yes or no?

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Decline if you can Moomin.  If you say anything negative about her, believe it or not she has the right to read that reference and could take action against you!


Alternatively you could just say as Croc said, that you knew her in the capacity of *insert job title* from such a date to such a date but as you weren't her immediate manager you feel unqualified to give a reference.  You could also state that as you don't know her on a personal level you are unable to supply a character reference.

all of the above would be the truth and from that they would be able to tell that she's an unsuitable candidate for whatever job she's applied for 
FM
How to say what you want to, without upsetting the former employee -

Job References

the problem
Having to write letters of recommendation for people with very dubious qualifications can cause serious legal troubles in a time when laws have eroded the confidentiality of business letters. In most states, job applicants have the right to read the letters of recommendations and can even file suit against the writer if the contents are negative.

the solution
Here is an arsenal of statements that can be read two ways: You are able to state a negative opinion of the ex-employees poor work habits, while allowing the ex-employee to believe that it is high praise. When the writer uses these, whether perceived correctly or not by the ex-employee, the phrases are virtually litigation-proof.

To describe a person who is extremely lazy:
'In my opinion,' you say as sincerely as you can manage, 'you will be very fortunate to get this person to work for you.'

To describe a person who is totally inept:
'I most enthusiastically recommend this candidate with no qualifications whatsoever.'

To describe an ex-employee who had problems getting along with fellow workers:
'I am pleased to say that this candidate is a former colleague of mine.'

To describe a candidate who is so unproductive that the job would be better left unfilled:
'I can assure you that no person would be better for the job.'

To describe a job applicant who is not worth further consideration:
'I would urge you to waste no time in making this candidate an offer of employment.'

To describe a person with lackluster credentials:
'All in all, I cannot say enough good things about this candidate or recommend him too highly.'
Blizz'ard
I think it's cheeky for the person to just assume you will give a reference without asking first, especially if she hadn't got on well there. Saying that though, it's possible she has explained the situation at interview (not everyone gets along in every role - it might not have been right for her at the time) but has had to still give a point of reference as that's the requirement in most roles these days.

By law you are not allowed to give a bad reference, but what has been suggested ^^^ sounds the right thing to do, that's what I'd do if it were me.
Karma_
Reference: pengy
Alternatively you could just say as Croc said, that you knew her in the capacity of *insert job title* from such a date to such a date but as you weren't her immediate manager you feel unqualified to give a reference. You could also state that as you don't know her on a personal level you are unable to supply a character reference.
What Pengy said...  OR as some people have said here, just decline and if they say why, you COULD give them the above statement.  Blizzie's post is quite amusing/clever/funny   but seriously, I wouldn't put any of that, because it does actually read as if you are praising her.
cockney-chick
I agree, just declining is the easiest course to take.  If you want to include the negative stuff you have to make sure it's pretty water tight rather than hear say gossip, emotive interpretations, proportionate or things that can be described as personality conflicts. 

From a personal point of view, if I was writing a reference of that type, I'd make sure the person it concerned had a copy.

I was under the impression that HR departments mostly deal with this sort of thing as employers don't necessarily trust references by ex-colleagues. 

This article explains a few matters concerning references.

http://www.totaljobs.com/caree...and-legal/references
Carnelian

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