If the worker thinks they’ve been given an unfair or misleading reference, they may be able to claim damages in a court. The previous employer must be able to back up the reference, such as by supplying examples of warning letters.
Workers must be able to show that:
it’s misleading or inaccurate
they ‘suffered a loss’ - for example, a job offer was withdrawn
Workers can get legal advice, including from Citizens Advice. They may also get legal aid.