This page contains information on the University's policy on providing employment references, the content of references, how requests are processed and references as part of pre-employment checks.
All reference requests should be forwarded to Ask_HR@soton.ac.uk
Further information on employment references is available on the ACAS website.
Contents
Policy on employment references
What to do if you receive a request
Requesting a reference for yourself
Personal references / Academic references
There is no legal requirement for employers to provide an employment reference. For legal reasons it is the University's policy to confirm only basic, factual information about an individual's employment. Human Resources is responsible for responding to all reference requests.
Where staff are transferring internally employment references are not required as part of this process.
However it is reasonable for the hiring manager to contact the existing line manager to get feedback on the employee's performance and conduct – this wouldn’t be provided in the form of a reference but the existing line manager still has a duty of care to ensure that any information discussed is accurate, fair and not misleading.
Employment references issued by HR will explain that it is the University's policy to respond to requests for information in a standard format and that only factual information that will be provided, specifically:
The reference will explain that the recipient should not draw any negative inferences from the fact that the reference is limited in this way.
If the requester requires additional information or for information to be in a specific format (e.g. for a visa application) please contact Ask HR for assistance.
If you receive an employment request from an existing or former employee or from a third party for an existing or former employee please forward this request to Ask_HR@soton.ac.uk
When HR receives the request a ticket will be raised in ServiceNow. The employment reference will then be produced and emailed to the requester within 5 working days of HR receiving the request.
If you are an employee of the University and need to request an employment reference for yourself (e.g. for a mortgage, tenancy or visa application) you can do so online by completing the request via ServiceNow.
If you are asked to provide a reference for an existing or former staff member and you want to provide a non-standard reference this will be permitted, so long as:
If you are considering including information in the reference or expressing an opinion in the reference which could be construed negatively by the recipient please contact Ask HR for advice before proceeding.
An important part of the University's recruitment process is to check that the information an individual has supplied as part of their job application is accurate and complete. We do this by seeking references from previous employers. Furthermore, factual information about a job applicant's past experience and performance is usually a sound predictor of his or her future performance in a similar role
For vacancies advertised through the University's e-Recruit system, employment references will be sought by HR on behalf of the hiring manager, with the permission of the applicant.
For academic posts, academic references are usually requested from the applicant(s) at the short listing stage of the process. These are submitted to the interview panel before interview.