THE SERVANTS “CHARACTER”

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 54, 27 November 1926, Page 28

THE SERVANTS “CHARACTER”

If your domestic servant is leaving you she will ask you for a “character,” or open letter which she can show to anyone to whom she is applying for a situation. She has no legal right to demand this of you, and she cannot seek redress in any court if you did not accede to her request. Rut morally you are bound to give her this assistance in seeking employment—except in the most exceptional cases of dishonesty or immorality (states a writer in an English exchange) .

The “character” you give her must not be calculated to mislead or deceive. You will probably say what you can that is good about her and make little or no mention of shortcomings, but you must not put down anything which you know to be false. If you do so and the maid steals or causes injury in her new home, you may be held liable to make good this loss to the mistress.

This “open character” is a fairly simple matter. Rut later you may feel considerable perplexity if you begin to receive searching letters from possible mistresses putting categorical questions to you on matters that you have purposely avoided. The law places you at once under its protection if you answer the questions honestly according to your beliefeven if you said you thought the maid was addicted to drink and there was no truth in your suspicion but you honestly believed it to be so. Your communication would be held to be a “privileged” one—and if she brought a libel action against you you would get judgment given in your favour. But nobody desires to face the risk of a libel action even though victory is assured. It seems endless time, worry, and expense, and a verdict in vour favour with an award of costs against a penniless servant js but a hollow triumph at the best. The safest plan is to put nothing in writing which could become the subject-matter

of a libel action if it got into the wrong hands. If you are asked awkward questions bv letter, it is wiser not to answer in detail, but to write suggesting an interview. When face to face with your questioner, yon can judge bow far it is advisable to be confidential, and you can act accordingly. If your correspondent lives in a distant part of the country and says that a personal interview is impossible, and the awkward questions, it is always open to vou to reply that you still prefer to discuss the matter in conversation. The hint will probably be quite sufficient. No one can compel you to write a letter against your will,