{"id":4703,"date":"2016-04-04T10:47:40","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T15:47:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/smallbusiness\/employment-law-and-human-resources\/employment-references-how-to-avoid-getting-sued.html"},"modified":"2024-06-06T05:25:26","modified_gmt":"2024-06-06T10:25:26","slug":"employment-references-how-to-avoid-getting-sued","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/employment-law-and-human-resources\/employment-references-how-to-avoid-getting-sued.html","title":{"rendered":"Protect Your Business When Providing Employment References"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Protect Your Business When Providing Employment References<\/h1>\n
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\n By Susan Buckner, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Susan Mills Richmond, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
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Editorial Note: We earn a commission from affiliate partner links on FindLaw. Commissions do not affect the editorial integrity of our legal content.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n \n

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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

When a good employee leaves your company, you hope they succeed. Giving them a good job reference<\/a> is easy. It’s difficult for business owners to give marginal workers the same references. More challenging are those for employees you had to fire.<\/p>\r\n

Threats of employee lawsuits already hang over employee terminations. What can small business owners do to protect themselves against possible defamation suits over references?<\/p>\r\n

Of course, nothing can prevent someone from suing if they want to. You can minimize your risks and give good workers the extra boost they need. This article discusses ways to protect yourself and provide references if you’re asked for them.<\/p>\r\n

General Employment References<\/h2>\r\n

In a standard employment reference, a potential employer wants to know the following:<\/p>\r\n