Sorry you're wrong.
http://www.ppspublishers.com/articles/n/ar...ky_business.htm
I go through fvcking management training every fvcking year, and we have to learn HR rules, etc... As a company our policy is that only project managers and HR give references on prior employees, just to limit our exposure. As far as what's said we do not say anything that is not in their employee's record. So if an employee had some letter of reprimand, we will tell a referencing employer about them. Especially in the case that the new reference is for a security clearance.