Jerusalem : Compass of the Diaspora Jew
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Ethical guidelines on what to say and what's proper to keep to yourself.
Q. I was just asked to give a reference for a former employee. I want to give the prospective employer as much information as possible, but I'm afraid of bad-mouthing my former hire.
A. Many employers consider giving references a nightmare for this very reason. Let's try and make some order of the different considerations involved.
While it is generally strictly forbidden to reveal negative information about a person, there is an exception in the case where someone has a legitimate need for the information. An obvious example would be a prospective employer.
But this doesn't necessarily mean that you can be completely open. There are two important limitations on this permission:
The first rule tells us that if your old employee Joe is looking for a job as a housepainter, you can tell the new boss that he's afraid of heights, but you can't inform him that he was a slow typist. When in doubt, remember: "silence is golden."
The second rule is particularly problematic because once we have revealed information, we have no control over where it goes. For instance, if I tell a prospective employer that Joe has a criminal record, he may legitimately use this information to avoid giving him a highly sensitive job. But he may also decide to reveal this information to the newspapers, causing Joe undeserved humiliation.
An additional reason for caution is that sometimes people pose as prospective employers in order to get former bosses or educators to lower their guard and reveal sensitive information that they use improperly.
The following guidelines emerge:
Nowadays there are formidable legal problems surrounding references. Some employers have been sued by former employees for slander; subsequent employers have sued others because they recommended someone for an unsuitable post and their incompetence caused damage. You may want to consult a lawyer.
These guidelines should help you strike a balance between your desire to help other employers make informed decisions, and your desire to save your former employee undeserved hardship or humiliation.
SOURCE: Chafetz Chaim chapter 10.
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The Jewish Ethicist presents some general principles of Jewish law. For specific questions and direct application, please consult a qualified Rabbi.
The Jewish Ethicist is a joint project of Aish.com and the Center for Business Ethics, Jerusalem College of Technology. To find out more about business ethics and Jewish values for the workplace, visit the JCT Center for Business Ethics website at www.besr.org.
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