This document provides standardised templates for businesses issuing references for former employees or freelancers. The templates are drafted to support consistency, fairness, and compliance with UK employment and data protection principles.
Businesses may adapt these templates to fit the context of the engagement, provided that all information included is accurate, evidence-based, and non-discriminatory.
Assume:
Anything in square brackets is a variable
Anything in ALL CAPS needs to be replaced
To whom it may concern,
This is to confirm that [Name] worked with [Business] as [Job Title] from [Start Date] to [End Date].
If you require any further information, please contact us.
[Name]
[Position]
[Business]
[Contact Email / Telephone]
Re: Reference for [Name]
[Name] worked with [Business] as [Role] on [Project/Production] from [Start Date] to [End Date].
Their responsibilities included: [Summary of duties].
During their engagement, they demonstrated:
Professional conduct
Positive and collaborative working relationships
Reliability in meeting deadlines and production requirements
[Any evidenced strengths relevant to the role]
Based on our experience, we would be willing to work with [Name] again.
[Name]
[Position]
[Business]
[Contact Email / Telephone]
Suggested neutral wording:
“We had no concerns regarding [Name]’s attendance during their engagement.”
“Attendance did not materially impact [Name]’s performance or delivery of their responsibilities.”
Important:
Do not include:
Medical details
Reasons for absence
Disability-related information
Personal or sensitive data
Any information the individual would not reasonably expect you to hold
Guidance on Using These Templates
These templates are intended to promote consistency across the business when issuing references.
Templates should be completed by staff authorised to provide references under the business’s reference policy.
All information must be accurate, fair, non-misleading, and supported by evidence.
Completed references should be retained securely and disposed of in accordance with the business’s data retention policy.
If additional details are requested by a prospective employer, ensure that any further disclosure is compliant with data protection law and does not include sensitive or irrelevant information.