Law Queries
References
Q. Does my former employer have to provide me with a reference?
A. An employer is generally not legally obliged to provide a reference, except in certain industries such as financial services. If the employer does decide to provide one, the reference must be fair, accurate and not misleading.
There are circumstances, however, in which a refusal to provide a reference could be unlawful because it amounts to victimisation.
This can happen if, for example, the employer refused to supply a reference because you had previously brought a discrimination claim against them, as happened in Jones v 3M Healthcare EAT 0714/00.