Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) 2012: Singapore's primary data protection legislation that governs the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data. Requires consent for sharing personal information and ensures proper handling of personal data in recommendation letters.
Employment Act (Chapter 91): While not directly governing recommendation letters, provides important context for employment relationships and ensures factual statements about employment duration and roles are accurate.
Defamation Act (Chapter 75): Protects against false statements that could damage reputation and ensures all information provided in recommendation letters is truthful and accurate.
Common Law Principles - Duty of Care: Legal obligation to exercise reasonable care in making statements about former employees, protecting against negligent misrepresentation.
Common Law Principles - Confidentiality: Legal principles governing the maintenance of confidentiality in professional relationships and communications.
Accuracy Requirement: Legal obligation to ensure all information provided in the recommendation letter is factual, verifiable, and accurate.
Consent Requirement: Legal necessity to obtain explicit consent from the employee before sharing their personal and professional information in a recommendation letter.
Non-Discrimination Principle: Legal requirement to avoid any discriminatory language or bias based on protected characteristics in the recommendation letter.
