New Law Protects Employers from Liability for Giving Good Faith Job References

May 2005
Employment Law Notes
Increasingly, employers are frustrated by the fact that when they try to check references on an applicant, former employers are unwilling to provide substantive information. Yet they themselves fear liability for giving such information to prospective employers of their former employees. This leads to a vicious cycle of employers passing on undesirable employees. Fortunately, the Washington Legislature recently passed legislation (HB 1625), that protects employers from job reference liability and Governor Gregoire has signed it into law. This Note discusses the new law and provides practical tips to help employers benefit from its protections.