# Help me create an ambiguous job reference for a bad worker **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 23, 2006, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-create-an-ambiguous-job-reference-for-a-bad-worker/345729 "2006-02-23T02:25:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-create-an-ambiguous-job-reference-for-a-bad-worker/345729/1 "2006-02-23T02:25:08Z")
In Feb my department was made redundant. One of the people who was laid off with me has asked me for a job reference. The thing is, I can’t honestly recommend her. She was nice enough, but a bad worker. I gently suggested that she should seek her boss as a reference. But I thought it would be fun to try to create something ambigous that could be taken either as a good reference or a bad one. All I have so far is: You would be lucky if you could get her to work for you. Note: I would never be so cruel as to send this out or share this with her, this is just to amuse me (or us, as it were.) ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-create-an-ambiguous-job-reference-for-a-bad-worker/345729/2 "2006-02-23T02:38:03Z")
This is an employee to look out for. Most employees are in the middle in regards to work ethic, a small minority are excellent and a small minority are terrible. This one is one of the handful that employers are always trying to get their hands on. I could probably do this 10 more times. ---
**Author:** ![Tabula\_Rasa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@Tabula\_Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabula_Rasa)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-create-an-ambiguous-job-reference-for-a-bad-worker/345729/3 "2006-02-23T04:00:57Z")
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_'s contribution to the workplace is immediate and noticeable. Her work ethic can influence the productivity of those around her. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-create-an-ambiguous-job-reference-for-a-bad-worker/345729/4 "2006-02-23T04:21:48Z")
1. “You would be extremely lucky to ever get [this person] to work for you.” 2. “[This persons] work ethic really helps the rest of the team to stand out.” 3. “I have never seen a more person dilligent on tasks that aren’t even required for the job.” 4. “When [this person] walks in every morning I know big things are about to happen.” 5. [This person] has never taken a sick day even when asked to. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-create-an-ambiguous-job-reference-for-a-bad-worker/345729/5 "2006-02-23T14:14:06Z")
“I cannot recommend this man too highly. If you can get him to work for you, you will indeed be fortunate.” ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-create-an-ambiguous-job-reference-for-a-bad-worker/345729/6 "2006-02-23T14:31:18Z")
If he’s so bad that the company would be more productive with the job unfilled than with him doing it, you could say “Nobody would be better for the job than him.” ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-create-an-ambiguous-job-reference-for-a-bad-worker/345729/7 "2006-02-23T15:30:01Z")
The following are reputed to be standard for references in Germany (references cannot be negative here) - don’t know how they’d come across in the US. … had the opportunity to do good work. [i.e.: but didn’t] … tried his/her best to do good work work. [i.e.: but couldn’t] … met our expectations [i.e.: did not do good work] … we got to know him/her as a resourceful employee who could solve problems in his/her and his/her employer’s interest [i.e.: he/she stole from us] … was honest and punctual [i.e.: but lazy] … was honest and hardworking [i.e.: but unpunctual] … was honest and punctual [i.e.: but dishonest] … scrupulously carried out all instructions [i.e.: no initiative] … a convival type [i.e.: an alcoholic] ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-create-an-ambiguous-job-reference-for-a-bad-worker/345729/8 "2006-02-23T15:31:40Z")
er… the third but last line should be … was hardworking and punctual [i.e.: but dishonest] ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-create-an-ambiguous-job-reference-for-a-bad-worker/345729/9 "2006-02-23T15:58:08Z")
Damn, somewhere around here I’ve got a while book full of these things. Unfortunately I can’t even remember the title, much less where I put it. ---
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-create-an-ambiguous-job-reference-for-a-bad-worker/345729/10 "2006-02-23T16:37:06Z")
> [@Rocketeer](#): > > “I cannot recommend this man too highly. If you can get him to work for you, you will indeed be fortunate.” This one wins my blue ribbon. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-create-an-ambiguous-job-reference-for-a-bad-worker/345729/11 "2006-02-23T17:00:21Z")
> [@Ensign Edison](#): > > This one wins my blue ribbon. I can’t claim credit; that phrase is an inheritance from my dad. ---
**Author:** ![rackensack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@rackensack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rackensack)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-create-an-ambiguous-job-reference-for-a-bad-worker/345729/12 "2006-02-23T17:30:52Z")
“I can’t say enough good things about this employee.” “The impact this employee had on our operations was astounding.” “It would be hard to find anyone else quite like him/her.” “The quality of his/her work was unparalleled in my experience.” ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-create-an-ambiguous-job-reference-for-a-bad-worker/345729/13 "2006-02-23T17:43:25Z")
> [@tschild](#): > > The following are reputed to be standard for references in Germany (references cannot be negative here) - don’t know how they’d come across in the US. Generally in the US, you don’t dare say anything other than “Ms Perkins was employed by us from 1999 through 2005 as an administrative assistant.” Adjectives will have a funny way of biting you when the employee sues you for libel/slander or defamation of character, or their future employers come at you for misrepresenting the state’s worst slacker as a stellar worker. Somewhere, a village is missing its idiot. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![zelie\_zelerton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/59ef9b/32.png) [@zelie\_zelerton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zelie_zelerton)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-create-an-ambiguous-job-reference-for-a-bad-worker/345729/14 "2006-02-23T21:14:17Z")
I adore the performance review generator on [dilbert.com](http://dilbert.com). And yes, i’ll confess to having used a few snippets from it once or twice in the past when i couldn’t think what to say. 😃 > **[Welcome to Dilbert](https://dilbert.com/)** > > The Official Dilbert Website featuring Scott Adams Dilbert strips, animation, mashups and more starring Dilbert, Dogbert, Wally, The Pointy Haired Boss, Alice, Asok, Dogberts New Ruling Class and more. ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-create-an-ambiguous-job-reference-for-a-bad-worker/345729/15 "2006-02-23T21:18:01Z")
I’ll second **gotpasswords**. Dates of employment are all we give out and even that has to come from corporate. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-create-an-ambiguous-job-reference-for-a-bad-worker/345729/16 "2006-02-23T21:28:51Z")
**zelie zelerton** I wish I had known about this before! 🙂 \*\*MikeG \*\*and **gotpasswords** , when you work for a company you must follow their rules. Now that I don’t work for them, I am free to give a reference or not if I wish. In this case I chose not to because, although I wish her well, her work ethic was poor and I could not see myself clear to refer her. But I have and will give references to others. There is no law against doing so. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-create-an-ambiguous-job-reference-for-a-bad-worker/345729/17 "2006-02-23T23:33:08Z")
An employee like this is hard to find. (I mean really, where is he? Anybody seen him? In the storage room, you say? I already looked there) ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-create-an-ambiguous-job-reference-for-a-bad-worker/345729/18 "2006-02-23T23:37:54Z")
> [@tschild](#): > > (references cannot be negative here) Really? How do you keep out die Riffraff? ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-create-an-ambiguous-job-reference-for-a-bad-worker/345729/19 "2006-02-23T23:43:27Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > **zelie zelerton** I wish I had known about this before! 🙂 > > \*\*MikeG \*\*and **gotpasswords** , when you work for a company you must follow their rules. Now that I don’t work for them, I am free to give a reference or not if I wish. In this case I chose not to because, although I wish her well, her work ethic was poor and I could not see myself clear to refer her. But I have and will give references to others. There is no law against doing so. But she can sue you if she doesn’t get a job based on what you say. And so can the other employer, if they hire her based on what you say, and then are unhappy. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-create-an-ambiguous-job-reference-for-a-bad-worker/345729/20 "2006-02-23T23:59:17Z")
> [@YaWanna](#): > > But she can sue you if she doesn’t get a job based on what you say. And so can the other employer, if they hire her based on what you say, and then are unhappy. As my lawyer is fond of telling me, in America people can sue for any reason they wish. The question is whether they can win or not. But I would require a cite for this claim. I have seen lawsuits on corperations, but have never heard of one on an individual. Can you offer a precedent? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-create-an-ambiguous-job-reference-for-a-bad-worker/345729.md?page=2)