Ex-coworker asked for my other coworker’s info

A former coworker from a year ago reached out to ask for our team lead’s contact, presumably to use as a reference, but I don’t want to give it to her.

For context, the company hires a few interns for a fixed 3 month contract 2-3 times per year. Since the company is relatively new and still scaling up, pretty much all interns are offered full-time positions as long as they show willingness to learn and put in effort during their internship.

The ex-coworker had a negative attitude and didn’t put much effort into learning, so she was let go at the end of her contract instead of being offered a permanent role. Today, after having no contact with her since we worked together, she texted me, “I need a favor. Can I get the full name and address of our lead please? Jose is his first name I think.”

His name is not Jose, and neither he nor I would recommend her to another employer. How do I politely and professionally decline?

Posted Jul 17, 2025, 8:27 AM UTC

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