For many years, I’ve heard Ontario companies say that they do not provide references, out of concern for exposure to liability for those situations where the employment relationship did not end on a positive note. In this case, the courts found there was no liability for providing a candid reference that honestly reflected performance of the former employee. The best scenario is always to have one person designated to respond to reference checks who can ensure the response is made without malice hashtag#employmentlaw.
http://hrlawyers.ca/2018/11/15/no-liability-negative-employment-references/