Job References Question:

Responding to a reference check request can be tricky. Fear of reprisal and lawsuits keep many employers from responding at all. These recommendations will help you respond reasonably to reference checking requests while protecting the legitimate interests of your company and your current employees.
Many companies request that managers send written reference requests to human resources. If the manager's reference is positive, however, you can agree to have the manager provide a verbal reference directly to an employer.