reference

UNIVERSAL RULES (apply to every reference task)

NEVER provide a reference that is inconsistent with the employee's documented performance record -- this creates legal and ethical risk
NEVER include salary information without the employee's explicit consent
NEVER provide a reference that you personally do not believe to be true -- if you cannot provide a positive reference, provide factual only
NEVER send a reference without HR review, especially for former employees who left on difficult terms
NEVER include information about disciplinary matters, health conditions, or protected characteristics in any reference
ALWAYS include the "REVIEW BEFORE SENDING" warning in every output

BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION

Source	Check
Conversation	Employee name, reference type requested (factual/professional/verification), recipient and purpose if known
hr.local.md	Reference policy (factual only vs professional permitted), company letterhead information, HR signatory details, rehire eligibility policy
Prior outputs	None — /reference is typically invoked independently

CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS

Required (ask if not provided):

Who is the reference for? (employee name)
What type of reference is needed? (factual / professional / employment verification)

Optional (ask if context suggests value):

Who is the recipient and what is the purpose? (job application / mortgage / visa / rental)
Has the employee given written consent for this reference?
Is there specific information the recipient has requested?

If information is missing: Default to factual reference (safest option). State "defaulting to factual reference — confirm if a professional reference is required and authorised" in the output.

MANDATORY OUTPUT HEADER

Every output must begin with:

TASK:          Reference Letter -- [Employee Name]
DOCUMENT TYPE: [Factual Reference / Professional Reference / Employment Verification]
JURISDICTION:  [From hr.local.md or user input]
CONFIGURATION: [hr.local.md loaded / best practices]
SENSITIVITY:   CONFIDENTIAL

REFERENCE LETTER WORKFLOW

Phase 1: Check Reference Policy

ALWAYS check before generating:

Does this organisation's policy permit opinion references, or factual only? (Load from hr.local.md)
Has the employee given written consent for this reference?
Is the content consistent with the employee's documented performance?
Has the reference been reviewed by HR before sending?

Phase 2: Determine Reference Type

TYPE 1: FACTUAL REFERENCE (most common corporate policy) Contents: job title, dates of employment, whether eligible for rehire Policy in many organisations: HR provides factual only; managers do not provide opinion references ALWAYS CHECK: what is this organisation's reference policy (from hr.local.md) before generating any content

TYPE 2: FULL PROFESSIONAL REFERENCE Contents: factual + performance assessment + specific achievements

professional recommendation Requirements: written authorisation from the employee; confirmation this is within the signer's authority

TYPE 3: EMPLOYMENT VERIFICATION LETTER Contents: confirms current employment status, role, and salary (for mortgage, visa, or rental applications) Contents: role title; employment type; start date; current salary; confirmation employment is ongoing as of letter date NEVER include: future salary projections; pending bonuses unless confirmed

Phase 3: Verify Facts

Verify all facts against HRIS before including:

Exact dates of employment (start date and end date or "present")
Exact job title (as it appears in the employment record)
Salary: only include if employee has explicitly requested and consented
Rehire eligibility: follow the organisation's policy and process

Phase 4: Generate Reference

TONE: Professional and neutral. If providing a positive reference: specific and evidenced. If unable to provide a positive reference: stick to factual only. NEVER: be dishonest or misleading about performance. NEVER: provide a reference you cannot stand behind.

LEGAL RISK: Two types of legal risk with references:

Defamation: providing false negative information about an employee
Misrepresentation: providing falsely positive information that influences hiring decisions; if the new employer relies on this and is harmed, liability may exist In both cases: stick to what you know to be factually true. When in doubt: factual reference only.

OUTPUT FORMAT

TYPE 1 -- FACTUAL REFERENCE:

TASK:          Reference Letter -- [Employee Name]
DOCUMENT TYPE: Factual Reference
JURISDICTION:  [Jurisdiction]
CONFIGURATION: [hr.local.md status]
SENSITIVITY:   CONFIDENTIAL

[Date]

To Whom It May Concern / [Named recipient if known]

Re: [Employee Full Name]

This letter confirms that [Full Name] was employed by [Company Name]
as [Job Title] from [Start Date] to [End Date / "the present"].

[Their employment is ongoing as of the date of this letter. /
 They left the organisation on [date].]

[OPTIONAL -- only if organisation policy permits and it is true:
 [Name] is eligible for re-employment at [Company Name].]

This reference is provided in a factual capacity only. For further
information, please contact [HR contact name, email].

Yours sincerely,
[Name, Title -- HR only for factual references]

WARNING: REVIEW BEFORE SENDING -- This reference must be reviewed by HR
before sending. Verify all facts against HRIS. Remove this note
before issuing.

TYPE 2 -- FULL PROFESSIONAL REFERENCE:

TASK:          Reference Letter -- [Employee Name]
DOCUMENT TYPE: Professional Reference
JURISDICTION:  [Jurisdiction]
CONFIGURATION: [hr.local.md status]
SENSITIVITY:   CONFIDENTIAL

[Date]

[Recipient name and address]

Dear [Name / To Whom It May Concern],

Re: Reference for [Employee Full Name]

[Paragraph 1: Relationship -- how long; in what capacity]
[Paragraph 2: Performance -- 2-3 specific achievements with evidence]
[Paragraph 3: Character and ways of working -- specific and honest]
[Paragraph 4: Recommendation -- genuine and proportionate]

I am happy to discuss this reference further if helpful.

Yours sincerely,
[Name, Title, Contact details]

WARNING: REVIEW BEFORE SENDING -- This reference must be reviewed by HR
before sending. Verify all facts against HRIS. Remove this note
before issuing.

TYPE 3 -- EMPLOYMENT VERIFICATION:

TASK:          Employment Verification -- [Employee Name]
DOCUMENT TYPE: Employment Verification
JURISDICTION:  [Jurisdiction]
CONFIGURATION: [hr.local.md status]
SENSITIVITY:   CONFIDENTIAL

[Date]

To Whom It May Concern,

Re: Employment Verification -- [Employee Full Name]

This letter confirms that [Full Name] is currently employed by
[Company Name] as [Job Title] on a [full-time/part-time] basis.

Start date: [Date]
Current annual salary: [Amount -- only if employee has consented]

This employment is ongoing as of the date of this letter.

For further information, please contact [HR contact name, email].

Yours sincerely,
[Name, Title]

WARNING: REVIEW BEFORE SENDING -- This reference must be reviewed by HR
before sending. Verify all facts against HRIS. Remove this note
before issuing.

NEVER DO THESE

NEVER provide a reference that is inconsistent with the employee's documented performance record -- this creates legal and ethical risk
NEVER include salary information without the employee's explicit consent
NEVER provide a reference that you personally do not believe to be true -- if you cannot provide a positive reference, provide factual only
NEVER send a reference without HR review, especially for former employees who left on difficult terms
NEVER include information about disciplinary matters, health conditions, or protected characteristics in any reference

AUTHORITATIVE SOURCES

ACAS (acas.org.uk) — Guidance on providing references (UK employment law perspective)
SHRM (shrm.org) — Reference checking toolkit, best practices for providing employment references
Spring v Guardian Assurance [1995] 2 AC 296 — UK case law establishing duty of care in employment references
CIPD (cipd.org) — Employment references guidance for HR practitioners

ALL OUTPUTS REQUIRE REVIEW BY A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL BEFORE USE IN BUSINESS DECISIONS.