How fast must agencies return references under client SLAs?
There is no legal clock. Your client contract sets it, and the timestamps in your file prove whether you met it.
How fast does client SLA reference checking need to be?
No law sets a reference turnaround for agencies. The deadline is whatever your client's supplier agreement says, often counted from booking or offer to a cleared file. Meeting it depends on collecting referee details early and chasing without gaps. RefAssure chases automatically, and across 229 completed references the median turnaround was about 23 hours.
What client SLAs usually measure.
Read your agreement for these four points. They decide what evidence you need.
Time to compliance
How long from booking or offer until the worker is cleared to start.
Completeness
How many references, covering which period, with which questions answered.
Evidence on request
Whether you can produce the reference and its history quickly when the client asks.
Escalation
What you must tell the client when a referee is unreachable or a reference raises concerns.
Chasing that does not wait for you.
5 emails and up to 2 texts over 12 days, stopping the moment the referee replies. 4 in 10 completed references came back after an automatic reminder.
How to hit a tight SLA every time
Most missed SLAs are not caused by slow referees. They are caused by work that started late or stalled quietly.
- Collect referee details at registration. Waiting until the client books someone adds days before a request even goes out.
- Ask for work email addresses and mobiles. A mobile number lets RefAssure send a text on day 0 and day 5, which many referees answer faster than email.
- Fix bounces straight away. RefAssure flags most bounced requests within minutes, so you can correct the address the same day rather than discover it a week later.
- Have a back-up referee ready. If a referee is still silent after day 12, you are told, and adding another keeps the file moving.
- Use one template per client. With up to 10 templates per account, you can match each client's required questions so nothing comes back incomplete.
For roles with vulnerable people, the Conduct Regulations 2003 require two references before supply. A fast SLA never overrides that.
Proof you met the deadline.
The PDF records when consent was given, when each request and reminder went out and when the referee completed it.
- A timeline your client can check against the SLA
- Signed answers from the referee
- Dashboard view of live, pending and awaiting references
- Unlimited team members on shared credits
Client SLA questions
More in the full FAQs.
Is there a legal deadline for agency references?
No. The law sets what must be checked, not how quickly. Turnaround targets come from your contract with the client. See recruitment agency compliance.
How quickly do RefAssure references come back?
Across 229 completed references in October 2026, the median was about 23 hours and half were back within 24 hours. Your times depend on your referees.
What if a referee misses the SLA window?
Tell the client as your agreement requires, and line up another referee. RefAssure tells you after day 12 if a referee has not replied, and you can add another straight away.
Can we start a worker before references come back?
That depends on the sector and your client. For roles with vulnerable people the Conduct Regulations require two references first, and regulated clients often forbid early starts. Check your agreement.
Can we do same-day references?
Sometimes. A referee who answers the first text can complete within hours. See same day reference checking for how to improve your chances.
How do we show a client we met the SLA?
Share the completed PDF. It records when consent was given, when each request and reminder went out and when the referee completed the reference, so the client can compare the timeline with the agreed turnaround.
Should SLA clocks start at booking or at registration?
That is for you and the client to agree, but starting references at registration gives you a head start whichever way the SLA is written. A worker whose references are already back can be cleared as soon as they are booked.
What does it cost?
Your first reference is free, then credits cost from 99p down to 80p with no monthly fee and no VAT added. See pricing.
Related guides
Meet the SLA without the chasing.
Your first reference is free. Two minutes to send, and RefAssure does the rest.