Employee Experience Survey Ends June 2

Letters of Recommendation

Letters of Recommendation for Staff Personnel

Effective January 1, 2025, California legislation (AB 1905) requires each public postsecondary education institution to adopt a written policy about Official Letters of Recommendation, among other requirements, as a condition of receiving state funding. 

An Official Letter of Recommendation is defined as a letter endorsed by the University that represents the views of the University as an employer. Any UC administrator or supervisor who provides an Official Letter for an employee must first consult with the appropriate entities to determine if the employee is a respondent in a sexual harassment complaint filed with the University. 

Administrators and supervisors are prohibited from providing an Official Letter if it is determined the employee is a respondent in a sexual harassment complaint and any of the following has occurred: 

  1. There is a “final administrative decision” (sustained finding) that the employee committed sexual harassment;
  2. The employee resigned while an investigation is pending and before a final administrative decision is made; OR,
  3. The employee enters into a settlement with the University based on the allegations arising from the sexual harassment complaint.

Please refer to UC Interim Letter of Recommendation Guidance for Staff Personnel issued in December 2024 for additional information. This interim guidance will be incorporated into policy under UC PPSM 80 Staff Personnel Records. 

How do I comply with this policy?

If you are an administrator or supervisor intending to write an Official Letter of Recommendation for a current or former employee, please contact the UC Davis Office of Compliance and Policy for clearance to proceed.

Note that the typical letter of recommendation may be considered a personal, not official, letter. If you are writing a personal letter of recommendation, you must follow the guidelines below and do not need to contact the UC Davis Office of Compliance and Policy.

May I write a personal letter of recommendation?

Yes. However, you may not use UC Davis letterhead or your UC Davis email address for a personal letter of recommendation. Personal references or letters represent the views of the individual writer and must clearly state that they are not written on behalf of the University. Suggested language is as follows:

"The following recommendation represents my personal views and does not represent the viewpoints of UC Davis or the University of California system."

References