Re: Bad reference

So would it have been better if both her, and the guy who liked you, 
responded with the standard:  "We don't give references out of fear of 
lawsuits."?
Because people have been sued for being too nice.  New employer sinks 
thousands into new hire for training and productivity to increase only to 
find out that the person had all sorts of obvious very bad habits at the 
old place of employment that the reference didn't mention.  New employer 
sues, successfully, the old employer.

And I think there are stupid legal rules to this game.  Someone told me 
that you could get into trouble for saying "Their attendance was poor." 
But it would be ok to say "According to our records they were absent, 
without excuse, 237 days last year.  And they were tardy 110 days, without 
excuse, for no less than 1 hour each time."  And you shouldn't volunteer 
the information.  You should wait until asked.

Rob Berendt