Staff Personnel Manual (SPP)

Effective: 10/30/1987

Revised: 7/1/2013

SPP 1104: Job References

Purpose

To provide information in response to job reference requests from prospective employers

Source

Arizona Revised Statutes § 23–1361

Applicability

All regular classified employees, university staff, and non-faculty administrators

Policy

Supervisors may provide an external employer, who makes a request, information concerning a current or former staff member’s job duties, dates of employment, and salary. If the employee specifically requests the supervisor to act as a reference, the supervisor may also comment on the employee’s job performance.

If the employer making the request is another ASU department, the University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University, or the Arizona Board of Regents, the supervisor should provide complete information regarding the employee’s job performance, even if not requested to do so by the employee.

Supervisors are immune from civil liability in connection with providing information to a prospective employer unless all of the following are found to exist:

1. the information is false
   
   

   and

2. the information tends to bring the staff member into disrepute, contempt, or ridicule
   
   

   and

3. the information is acted on to the harm of the staff member by the prospective employer
   
   

   and

4. the supervisor knows the information is false or entertains serious doubts about its truth.

Additional Information

For additional information on job references, please review the Office of General Counsel’s Web page on “Employee References.”

Cross-Reference

For related information, see SPP 1101, “Personnel Records.”

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