6-830   EMPLOYMENT REFERENCE
Approved June 2002

POLICY

It is the policy of the Agency to respond only to written requests for information concerning present or former staff when the present or former staff has authorized the release of such information.

PROCEDURE

All requests for information concerning a present or former staff of the Agency will be forwarded to the Service Director of the department in which that staff was employed at the date of his/her departure from the Agency.

At the date of his/her departure from the Agency, staff will be given the opportunity to execute a written authorization to the Agency regarding the release of information concerning the staff in the future.  Prior to releasing any information, the appropriate Service Director must ascertain whether such a written authorization has been received from the staff in question.  If there is no such authorization on file, the Service Director may release information only on the basis of a written authorization from the former staff.

Service Directors may only respond to requests for information concerning a former staff in writing; no verbal information on either a present or former staff will be provided.

In preparing a letter of reference regarding a present or former staff, Service Directors must ensure that the letter contains only job related information, which is objective and accurate.  Prior to preparing such a letter, the Service Director must review the staff's Human Resources file.  The letter should not contain statements of opinion regarding the present or former staff.

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