<prompt> Human: While thinking about moving from one company to another for better working conditions I started wondering: why would my current employer even bother to give me any references? Most likely he will simply fire me right on the spot or as soon as he can if I ask for references or, if I dont warn him, as soon as another company calls. Best case scenario - he will refuse to speak, worst - he will talk all kinds of nonsense about me behind my back. Frankly, if I was a boss, I wouldnt be too eager to promote one of my guys to a competitors firm neither. Therefore, do I have some legal leverage on him? Also, do companies even care about all these reference crap nowadays? PS Im in a structural engineering field  <response>: Dont use your current employer as a reference. If you must give professional references use a colleague or project manager instead. 