PDPA 2012: Personal Data Protection Act - Key considerations include consent requirements for sharing personal information, obligations for handling personal data, ensuring information accuracy, and data protection requirements
Employment Act (Chapter 91): Governs employment relationships in Singapore - Requires truthful representation of employment history and ensures factual accuracy of employment details in references
Defamation Act (Chapter 75): Protects against defamation - Ensures statements in reference letters are truthful, can be substantiated, and aren't defamatory
Common Law Principles: Legal principles including duty of care in providing references, protection against negligent misstatement, and principle of qualified privilege in giving references
Workplace Safety and Health Act: Relevant for safety-sensitive positions - Requires accurate representation of safety records or incidents in reference letters
Best Practices - Consent: Obtain written consent from the subject before providing a reference
Best Practices - Verification: Ensure all information provided is verifiable and factual
Best Practices - Objectivity: Maintain objective stance and avoid personal bias in reference content
Best Practices - Record Keeping: Maintain proper records of all references provided
Best Practices - Relevance: Include only information relevant to the purpose of the reference
Best Practices - Confidentiality: Ensure secure and confidential transmission of reference information
