Free employment reference template.
A ready-to-use UK reference request form. Print it, save it as a PDF or copy the questions. Or let RefAssure send it and chase it for you.
What is an employment reference template?
An employment reference template is a standard form an employer sends to a candidate's referees. It asks for employment dates, job title, duties, reason for leaving, performance, conduct and whether they would re-employ, then ends with a signed declaration. The free template below covers all of these. RefAssure can also send it for you, chase the referee and file a signed PDF, from 80p a reference.
Free UK reference request template
Send it with a short covering note, adapt the questions to the role, and keep the signed copy on file.
Employment reference request
Confidential. Please complete and return by [date].
Dear [referee name],
[Candidate name] has applied for the role of [job title] at [organisation] and has named you as a referee. They have given their consent for us to contact you and for you to share the information below.
Your reference will be treated in confidence and used only for this recruitment decision. Please answer factually and leave out anything you cannot confirm. Thank you for your time.
Candidate and role
- Candidate's full nameShort answer
- Role the candidate has applied forShort answer
- Organisation requesting the referenceShort answer
Your relationship to the candidate
- Your name, job title and organisationShort answer
- In what capacity do you know the candidate (for example, line manager)?Short answer
- How long have you known them?Short answer
Employment details
- Dates of employment, from and toDate range
- Job title when they leftShort answer
- What were their main duties?Paragraph
- What was their reason for leaving?Short answer
Performance
- Quality of workRate 1 to 10
- Reliability and timekeepingRate 1 to 10
- TeamworkRate 1 to 10
- CommunicationRate 1 to 10
Conduct
- Was the candidate subject to any disciplinary action while working for you? If yes, please give brief details.Yes / No
- Where the role involves work with children or adults at risk: are you aware of any safeguarding concern about the candidate's suitability for this work? If yes, please give details.Yes / No
- Do you have any reason to doubt the candidate's honesty or integrity?Yes / No
Re-employment
- Would you re-employ the candidate? If not, please explain why.Yes / No
Further comments
- Is there anything else you would like to tell us about the candidate's suitability for this role?Paragraph
Declaration and signature
I confirm that the information I have given is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge.
Name
Job title
Signature
Date
Telephone
What should an employment reference include?
A useful employment reference confirms the facts and gives an honest view of how the person worked. Most UK reference request forms ask for:
- Employment details: start and leaving dates, job title and main duties.
- Reason for leaving: in the referee's words, kept factual.
- Performance: ratings for quality of work, reliability and timekeeping, teamwork and communication.
- Conduct: any disciplinary action and, for roles with children or adults at risk, any safeguarding concerns.
- Re-employment: whether the referee would employ the person again.
- A signed declaration: so you know who gave the reference and when.
Keep questions to what you need for the role. Schools, care providers and healthcare employers usually add questions their regulator expects, so add those to your form once and reuse it.
What can an employer say in a reference?
An employer can give a short factual reference, such as dates and job title, or a fuller one covering skills, performance, conduct and attendance. Acas guidance is clear that whatever they include, the reference must be true, accurate and fair, and it should not give a misleading overall impression, even if each fact on its own is correct.
A referee can mention problems, such as disciplinary action, if they are true and fair to include. Opinions should be based on facts the referee can support. If a reference is inaccurate or misleading, the candidate may be able to take action against the employer who wrote it.
Acas publishes free guidance on references for employers and workers, and it is the place to check the detail for your situation.
This is general information, not legal advice.
Or let RefAssure send it for you.
Skip the printing, posting and chasing. RefAssure sends your questions as a secure online form and follows up until the referee replies.
- Candidate consent collected online before referees are contacted
- 5 emails and up to 2 texts over 12 days, stopping when they submit
- Referees answer and sign on any device, with no login
- A signed PDF with a full audit trail, filed for you
Upload your own form in seconds.
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Add your form as a PDF or Word (.docx) file. Older .doc files need saving as PDF or .docx first.
About 20 seconds
RefAssure reads your questions and builds them into a template, in your wording and your order.
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Look over each question and its answer type, and adjust anything before you use it.
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Use it like any other template. No form yet? Save the template above as a PDF and upload that.
Reference template questions.
More in the full FAQs.
Is there a standard employment reference template in the UK?
No. There is no official form that every employer must use. Acas publishes guidance on what references can cover, and most UK reference request forms ask much the same things: dates, job title, duties, reason for leaving, performance, conduct and whether the referee would re-employ. The template on this page covers all of them.
Is this reference request template free to use?
Yes. Print it, save it as a PDF or copy the questions into your own document. You do not need to sign up, and you can change the wording to suit your roles.
Does an employer have to give a reference?
In most cases there is no legal duty to give a reference, although some regulated sectors, such as financial services, have rules that require one. If an employer does give a reference, it must be true, accurate and fair.
Can a referee give a bad reference?
A referee can include negative information if it is true, accurate and fair, and the reference does not give a misleading overall picture. Read more in our FAQs.
Do I need the candidate's consent before contacting referees?
It is good practice to tell the candidate and get their agreement before you contact anyone they have named, and it helps you handle their personal data fairly. RefAssure collects consent online, with a signature, before any referee is contacted.
Can I use my own reference form with RefAssure?
Yes. Upload it as a PDF or Word (.docx) file and RefAssure turns it into a template on your account in about 20 seconds. You check it, then use it like any other template. Older .doc files need saving as PDF or .docx first.
How much does it cost to send this template with RefAssure?
Your first reference is free. After that a reference costs 99p on the 10 pack, falling to 80p each on the 250 pack, with no monthly fee and no VAT added. See pricing.
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