Title VII of the Civil Rights Act 1964: Federal law prohibiting employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. Must be considered when writing recommendation letters to avoid discriminatory language or bias.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Federal law protecting individuals with disabilities from discrimination. Relevant when discussing employee's performance to avoid disclosure of disability-related information without consent.
Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA): Federal law protecting workers 40 and older from age discrimination. Must be considered to avoid age-related bias in recommendation language.
State Anti-Discrimination Laws: Various state-specific laws that may provide additional protections against discrimination. Must be considered based on the specific state's jurisdiction.
Defamation Laws: Legal framework protecting against false written statements (libel). Ensures recommendation letters contain truthful, factual information to avoid potential lawsuits.
Privacy Laws: Federal and state laws governing the protection of personal information. Includes considerations for sharing employee information and maintaining confidentiality.
FERPA: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act protecting student education records. Relevant if recommendation includes educational information.
Consent Requirements: Legal requirement to obtain employee's permission before sharing information in a recommendation letter. Includes documenting consent and scope of information to be shared.
Documentation Requirements: Best practice legal requirement to maintain copies of recommendation letters and related permissions for record-keeping purposes.
Company Policy Compliance: Internal organizational policies regarding reference letters, confidentiality agreements, and employment agreements that must be followed in conjunction with legal requirements.
