I just finished my internship at Am@zon and my manager told me that I did a great job. After this I asked him for a recommendation and he told me that he can't and advised me to ask the host for it. I asked the host and he told me he can't as well?
I don't understand how this is working, he can give me feedback at 1:1s, but he can't give a recommendation?
Posted Sep 18, 2020, 9:19 PM UTC
Assuming you’re in the US, Amazon’s policy was (as of last year) that managers weren’t allowed to provide recommendations and were supposed to direct people to a phone line that would verify employment dates.
No, I don’t really know how this would be enforced if your manager decided to give a rec anyway.
I assume this was because someone didn’t get a job after someone from Amazon provided a bad recommendation (condemnation?) and filed suit against the recommender and Amazon. Safer for Amazon (and the manager, frankly) not to open themselves up for liability, especially when there is no upside to Amazon for providing the rec.
Source: was manager at Amazon.
Across the pond in Britain they give a recommendation or don't. None of our lawsuit horseshit - youre just not allowed to give bad feedback. Only good or none apparently.
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Wrong. You have every right to give recommendations.
In America this is protected by the 1st amendment.
The first amendment grants you free speech protection from the government, not private entities. There are other more local laws that might allow someone protection against retaliation from their employers for speaking about a coworkers performance, but those are less cut and dry about what can be signed away with an NDA or via company policy.
Parent was talking about laws, not private entities.
There are other more local laws that might allow someone protection against retaliation from their employers for speaking about a coworkers performance
Nope, you have freedom of speech in America, and the 14th amendment incorporated that into the states. You’re allowed to say truthful (i.e. non-slanderous) things about your colleagues.
Saying stuff about people is your God-given right as a human being put down on this planet. This is fucking America, not some European shithole that arrests people for tweets.
What you need a recommendation for? I don't know any companies asking for them as part of the hiring process.
I went to a full time position interview at KeySight and Electronic Arts and both asked me for recommendations (also these companies were in another city if this matters).
Try to talk to the companies and let them know that Amazon seems to have a no recommendation letter policy and ask what you should do about it.
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Yeah wth is that
Intern host, mentor, that guy with experience that helps you when your stuck
tl;dr: it's not personal, it's just business.
Lots of organisations just don't do recommendations like that. But they'll usually have a phone number that goes to HR etc who can confirm to callers that you worked at x company in y role for ~some length of time.
Having this stops people from gaming the recommendation system, and protects the company from liability if someone gives a poor recommendation or their recommendation is blamed for someone not getting a job. And if a person gives a recommendation for someone else, but not for you, then you'll feel a bit peeved that someone else got "preferential treatment" and idk I guess there could potentially be a legal basis where they're liable or some shite.
It's just a lot simpler if all managers at any level can just say - "We don't do recommendations, but have (some other company) call this number for your reference."
Saves a company from a LOT of headaches.
Recommendation to who? Some employers have a policy to not make any comments on employee performance to any outside source.