Sadly that is trivial to get around these days, especially if someone at the new company knows someone at the old one. Most professionals I know are happy to "

Sadly that is trivial to get around these days, especially if someone at the new company knows someone at the old one. Most professionals I know are happy to "bend" policy to give a respected colleague or personal friend a good reference, especially if that person is on the street. If the company clams up and limits its response to name, rank and serial number, that's a huge red flag.