References for a current or former member of staff

This guidance is intended for managers who have been asked to provide an employment or character reference for a current or former member of staff.

HR Services are responsible for providing factual references confirming the basic details of an employee/ former employee's employment. All requests for employee references must be sent to hr-enquiries@york.ac.uk.

In situations where a manager wishes to provide a more detailed reference, the University Guide to References must be followed.

References for criminal justice or civil court proceedings

The University will not normally provide a reference for criminal justice or civil court proceedings. Should you wish to provide a reference in a personal capacity to criminal justice or court proceedings, you must be explicit that your reference is not being provided on behalf of the University. In any event, you should first discuss this with the relevant Dean or the University Chief Operating Officer and a member of the HR Operations team.