Pointers for giving safe appraisals

By JULIE MIDDLETON

Last week's Career outlined the legal dangers that written references can pose.

Exit employers - those bidding a staff member goodbye - should observe these pointers:

* Before providing a reference, get written consent from the person about whom the reference will be given.

* Speak only to people you trust.

* Ensure you verify the identity and role of anyone ringing for a verbal reference.

Ask for a faxed proof of authority on letterhead paper before you say a word.

Law professor Bill Hodge says cases have come before the Employment Tribunal involving people getting a friend to pose as an employer, call for their reference and record the conversation.

"It's definitely something that an employee trying to trap a former employer might do," he says.

* There is no such thing as "off the record"; ensure you know the safest way to give information.

* Your reference must be scrupulously accurate and must not stray from questions specifically related to the job and the person. Don't guess or speculate.

* Give specific detail, but don't say anything you can't back up.

* Keep the language formal, says Professor Hodge, and "don't say excessively enthusiastic things."

* Next week: reference advice for staff-hunting companies.