An employee is leaving

[Tin Pot]

That’s not the case - references are exempt. But she can request the same info from the other party.

From the 1998 DPA:
SCHEDULE 7Miscellaneous exemptions

Confidential references given by the data controller
1Personal data are exempt from section 7 if they consist of a reference given or to be given in confidence by the data controller for the purposes of—

(a)the education, training or employment, or prospective education, training or employment, of the data subject,
(b)the appointment, or prospective appointment, of the data subject to any office, or
(c)the provision, or prospective provision, by the data subject of any service.

Is that true under GDPR? Happy to be corrected.

 

[flake99please]

Are employers allowed to not provide a reference?

My employers refuse to give references to anyone leaving. Ironic that they then request 2 references from anyone joining...

 

[bruce1530]

GDPR is not yet law - not until May 25th 2018.

But the bill says:

"
Confidential references

22 The listed GDPR provisions do not apply to personal data consisting of a reference given (or to be given) in confidence by the controller for the purposes of— 40

• (a) the education, training or employment (or prospective education, training or employment) of the data subject,
  
• (b) the appointment (or prospective appointment) of the data subject to any office, or
  
• (c) the provision (or prospective provision) by the data subject of any 45 service.

"

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Sad but true.

Most of HR is outsourced these days. That company checks if you did work at your given employers on your CV and for the dates stated. They don’t ask and don’t give a hoot what anyone thought of your work.

For me this is sad because all my efforts are to ensure my clients are impressed with my work and happy with me personally, and it means nothing come the next contract.

It isn't really.

 

[PK99]

Just over a year ago when D1 was being recruited into a (non-medical) health services job in Vancouver, in addition to the standard pro forma "worked for us...." references, she had to give contact details of superiors who knew her work directly - both were telephoned from Canada by the recruiting manager and effectively interviewed about D1 crosschecking the story she had given etc.

 

[mustang1]

Suppose I had a company that prided itself in screwing up. So a good reference would be "employee screws up all day long" which would actually be a good reference.

Excuse me for going nuts on this serious subject.

 

[midlife]

Again slightly off topic but there are some references on t'internet from the Royal Navy which are quite amusing.