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In Germany (and possibly in certain other countries) there is a special language people use in written references to issue a positive reference (others aren't permitted) yet include certain information "between the lines". There are books on how to write these things and how to detect them.

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Same in the US. Basically you can either give someone a glowing review, or you can say, "yes, <person> worked here for <X amount of time>".

What you can't do is anything that hinders a person from getting a job, but it doesn't mean you need to lie and say they were great.

Didn't know that. Thanks for the info.

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