You'll never get a straight answer on that. If a company told you the truth, I imagine they're opening a door for a lawsuit. You'll get the standard "left to

You'll never get a straight answer on that. If a company told you the truth, I imagine they're opening a door for a lawsuit. You'll get the standard "left to pursue other opportunities / spend time with family / personal reasons" bullshit. Same reason that references are a waste of time: unless a reference really loved you, they'll forward you to HR to verify dates of employment. In my opinion, a reference is never going to give you even a tiny bit of negativity, and will only serve to reinforce a positive impression.