defamation of character

[chicken89]

what questions can a future employer ask previous employers? i have heard that only- how long has XX employee worked for you, what was the last date worked, and is XX elegible for rehire?

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Any question can be asked. The catch is how comfortable the old employer feels about answering a question. There have been court cases that have gotten human resources managers attention. They do seem to be a bit reluctant to ask too many questions.

 

[chicken89]

here is a question asked to a former employer of my wife...
"would you rehire raeanna", my understandign of this question means that an employer can give an answer with emotion and personal thoughts. my understanding of the legal system in this particular situation is that the hiring company can only ask "is raeanna eligable for rehire" meaning by the books- was she fired.
i have been a hiring manager at a resturaunt and i know that if i was to check references, i can only ask questions that deal with facts (length of employment, beginning/ending date, eligable for rehire). if a question about character or personal feelings are asked, then i can be fired

 

[Nathan]

I don't know the actual law, but I assume in the states it is the same as in Germany. You can't say bad things, but you can say things like, "XYZ has a lot of potential for improvement." Translation, XYZ sucks at their job.