I need a sample letter that I can have my former boss sign to only be able to disclose: salary, dates and job title , where do I look?

"He is causing you" ....

that's one of the most self-defeating statements I've seen here this morning. You've just given him all the power over whether you work again.

That has to end. It ends when you stop using him as a reference. He's just a former manager. He's going to tell as much of the truth about whatever happened at that job as he can stand to say.

Your task is to get the next job anyway -- that means you have to come across in the resume and interview as someone other than what he says [or doesn't say].

Managers looking to hire trust their own instincts more than those of someone else they don't know.

so, why did you leave that job? what does that say about you?

work on that bit about yourself -- and tell truth! [my most effective personnel screener was a sober for today alcoholic. She'd been sober, one day at a time, for over a decade. Her great value was that she could detect a lie about two heartbeats after a candidate uttered it -- because she'd told virtually every possible lie in her earlier life. And we turned those candidates down -- also about two heartbeats later.]

I don't know that a lot of people do such "letters."

They also don't like putting things like salary in writing, where they don't know where it goes.

About the best you can do realistically is provide that information yourself on job applications, then tell prospective employers this boss gives you iffy references. New jobs aren't going to take some paper that could simply have a forged signature.

There is no such document. You cannot bind someone to something like this. Well, you certainly can draft up something like this but he would be the most stupid person in the world to sign such a thing, and there is nothing you can to do compel him to sign.

He is not required to give you any reference at all. If he does give you one, he does have to provide a factual reference and cannot lie. But if he is asked a question like "Would you hire her back/again?" and he says "no" and can offer reasons why (if he chooses to do so), nothing you can do about that.

Your best option is to determine what the negatives are or may be from his reference, and decide how you are going to address those. Most employers know there are personality conflicts sometimes, or maybe you were given work that was beyond your skill set. If it was something you were doing wrong, be prepared to tell them how you have addressed that so it does not occur in the future.

But you have absolutely no leverage or influence on the reference other than determine if he is lying and that it is intentional (that is, he knows it not to be true).

What is your plan if your former boss decides to NOT sign? You can't force him to sign any such document.

If you think he's giving a bad reference, then don't list him as a reference. Just list that job in your employment history, but not as a reference.

How dumb can you be?

You're not getting a good reference because of - now read carefully - *your performance.* You apparently suck as an employee, at least in his eyes. Your former employer is totally within his rights to say so as long as he is speaking the truth.

Besides, there are so many ways around something like that (which he would never sign, fyi.) For instance - a new employer asks if you're honest. Old employer says I can't speak to that. New employer has his answer: no. It's called reading between the lines.

Analyze your work performance and work on improving.

What makes you think you have a right to demand an employer or ex-employer do what you tell him to? Are you looking to be thrown in jail? He has a right to give whatever reference he sees fit regarding any of his employees and past employees. I expect it was your presumptuous attitude and misplaced feelings of entitlement that got you fired. When that changes, perhaps, you will get a better reference.

The simple answer would be to not use that reference.

I only use my own penmanship without a dictionary. I print (block letters) because my cursive writing is hard for me to read. I never got hired using a resume written by a professional resume writer but every time I wrote it myself, the interviewer hired me. I suggest you do the same for the letter that you have to write.

Any attempt to control what a employer can say about your record of employment would not be enforceable. What makes you think that he would even sign such a document?