610 CKTB – Giving A Bad Job Reference is Not Defamation

Can a company be sued for defamation if it gives a bad job reference?

Not if it’s honest.

So says the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in a recent decision in the case of Papp v. Stokes Economic Consulting Inc. A young economist named Adam Papp sued Samfiru Tumarkin LLP’s client, Stokes Economic Consulting, for nearly $800,000 after he was fired without cause.

Employment Lawyer Gurlal Kler, Partner at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP, told host Larry Fedoruk on Newstalk 610 CKTB why the Superior Court’s decision was the right one, and the importance of honesty in a job reference.