References from previous employers

[Hushi05]

I am job hunting and was asked to provide references from previous employers. My current (soon to be former) supervisor tells me that HR rules say that she cannot provide a reference for me because of "liability issues". All she can do is confirm employment.

I have never heard of such a thing. How do you get a new job if your previous supervisor (for 7 years) is not allowered to provide a reference? I was a little paranoid that my supervisor just didn't want to give me a reference, but she swore up and down that that wasn't the case and that HR has a policy (which I haven't seen yet).

Has anyone else heard of such a policy? I'm rather upset- how can I hope to get a new job if no one will say that I'm a good and reliable nurse?

[nurse2033, MSN, RN]

It's a crazy new world. List her as a reference but realize she will only say the legally allowed verbiage. Find some other coworkers that will gush about you and you should be fine. Good luck.

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

It is not uncommon for companies/facilities to limit references to dates of employment and rehire status. (Some will waiver if a signed release is provided by the inquiring party (usually signed at the time of the interview). MANY companies prohibit current employees, supervisors, and managers from giving personal references for current/former coworkers. This was strictly enforced at one of my former employers. Part of the reason is that only HR was authorized to act on behalf of the company when providing information on current/former employers.

I think the companies tend to do this to reduce liability if a manager or supervisor has a grudge and gives opinion rather than fact which can be considered slander/libel depending on the statement, or so the HR Generalist at my former employer stated. Your potential new employer has likely dealt with this in the past. I have noticed a new document (I'm not sure if it is from the state or national level that is a specific form for nursing references including inquiries about write ups, accusations, complaints regarding nursing skill and patient care provided) that is required to be signed by the applicant and completed by any former/current employer for a nursing (RN or LPN) applicant. The previous employer is obligated to truthfully, accurately and fully complete the form. (If it is state specific, it is likley a document related to issues generated by Charles Cullen (former nurse, now convicted murderer) where former employers only released dates of employment but failed to notify that there were active investigations into his practice as a nurse (not yet reported to the BoN as they were being investigated by the facility and oft times the local prosecutors office). )

[amygarside]

JustBeachyNurse, thank you for that information. I think that that new document is a good way to show transparency. I just hope that the document gets filled out truthfully.