WTF? really?? big company and it doesn't complete a reference for new employers.

Coupled with that and the emploer I had before that gave me a crap one that i'm not allowed to see, and by their rationale, they could have happily wrote what they like

GGGGRRRRRR!!!!!

We don't either. Corporate policy again. Well, we stick to absolute facts. Eg John smith worked for us from x date to y date in the role of x. Avoids risk of litigation apparently. It's not uncommon though.

the emploer I had before that gave me a crap one that i'm not allowed to see

Make a "Subject access request" to said employer and they are duty bound to let you see it.

As to your more recent one, there's no legal obligation to provide a reference, so not much you can do there.

It is also illegal to prvide a deliberately bad reference, you can give honest answers to specific questions but cannot supply unsolicited negative information

+1 for CFH's reply.

Join LinkedIn, make an effort to get many links.
Ask your bezzie contacts to give you some references, job done.

(This will take time & effort, but prob worth it for professional-type people)

but cannot supply unsolicited negative information

Unless it's true and you know about it.

Do employers normally follow them up? If most only provide boilerplate references then presumably they're useless to your future employer and they must know it.

JulianA – Member
but cannot supply unsolicited negative information
Unless it's true and you know about it

Agreed. Julian, we must stop agreeing like this! 🙂

Can you get a personal reference from your previous manager rather than a 'professional' one perhaps?

define what you mean as a bad reference as past employers can refuse to give a reference but not allowed to give a bad reference.

Judging by your last one might be a blessing in disguise

define what you mean as a bad reference as past employers can refuse to give a reference but not allowed to give a bad reference.

A reference can pretty much say what it wants either positive or negative
as long as it's true

prob worth it for professional-type people

You sure? Pretty pointless for me as medical references are in a prescribed format; I'd imagine it's the same for law & the church…

Andy

When I had nothing good to say about someone for a reference, I just said that I didn't like providing them but to ask HR for one (or "personnel" as it used to be called…Jeez, yeah, remember when it was called "personnel"? 🙂 )

Can't you ask your boss to provide a personal one, instead of getting a corporate one?