Keith Porter: When applying for a new job, and the application asks for previous employers + phone numbers and can we contact? What kind of information can a previous employer give to a prospective employer? Legally? Can they say whether the employee was terminated or quit, reasons for leaving, or are they only allowed to verify dates of employment, by law?|||There really isn't any protection or requirements, that I know of, that legally stops a previous employer from telling the prospective employer whatever they want to ask. So, it isn't a matter of law what they can and can't tell about you, but rather company policies. What is and isn't allowed is determined by the previous company and their own vested interest in not getting sued by an employee that they have fired. So, generally, the only information that you get is very vague. Most will at least say that the employee left voluntarily or not. The smaller the company, the more likely they will be to reveal more details since they probably don't have a legal department or even a formal company policy. So, by law, they can reveal much more than what you mentioned, but because of the law, they usually limit it greatly.|||Here in TN they are only able to tell prospective employers the dates you worked there and if they would rehire you or not. That's it. I am 99% sure that is applicable to all states, but could be off in thinking that.|||They can tell a prospective employer that someone was terminated and why.