Welcome and let's get started!

From: Holly Elissa Bruno, MA, JD
Email: hollyelissab@comcast.net
Date: May 18, 2007

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Dear colleagues,

What a pleasure to be able to work with you this coming week on legal and ethical issues in our field!

Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to join with us.

If we met recently at the annual Leadership Connections Conference in Chicago, I am especially glad to connect with you again.

To begin, here is a question on employee references that raises both legal and ethical issues:

QUESTION #1:

"What is your organization's policy on the information you can provide when you are called to give a reference on a previous employee?

Do you feel you can tell the future employer useful information?

Are you free to state whether you would or would not rehire this former employee and why?"

Directors in many states have expressed concern over: 1) the requirement to speak with at least 3 references; and, concurrently, 2) the restrictions on the information that can be shared by the person giving the reference.

I look forward to a great week together, beginning with this question. I am sure many more useful and intriguing topics will emerge.

Be kind to you. The work you do is changing the world for the better,

Holly Elissa