ORS 30.178 Liability of employer for disclosing information about employee to new employer; no action based on compelled self-publication

An employer who discloses information about a former employee’s job performance to a prospective employer of the former employee upon request of the prospective employer or of the former employee is presumed to be acting in good faith and, unless lack of good faith is shown by a preponderance of the evidence, is immune from civil liability for such disclosure or its consequences. For purposes of this section, the presumption of good faith is rebutted upon a showing that the information disclosed by the employer was knowingly false or deliberately misleading, was rendered with malicious purpose or violated any civil right of the former employee protected under ORS chapter 659 or 659A.

A civil action for defamation may not be maintained against an employer by an employee who is terminated by the employer based on a claim that in seeking subsequent employment the former employee will be forced to reveal the reasons given by the employer for the termination.