§ Harry CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what requirements are in place to ensure that job references provided by employers are accurate and not misleading; what assessment she has made of the adequacy of remedies for those who may be a victim of an inaccurate reference and may be temporarily unemployed as a consequence, with particular reference to the cost of obtaining a remedy; and if she will make a statement. [164083]
§ Mr. SutcliffeEmployees can take action in the employment tribunals if they consider that a reference discriminates against them unlawfully, for instance on grounds of sex or sexual orientation. Employers also have a common law duty to take reasonable care in supplying references. An employee provided with a misleading or inaccurate reference could consider taking action in the civil courts against its supplier. The Department has made no specific assessment of the potential cost involved in seeking redress for a misleading reference or the remedies available.