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Our Reference Completed Letter Template streamlines the process of providing detailed and accurate employee references, saving time and effort.
If you wish to return a completed reference form requested by an ex-employee's new employer, issue this model template
[Sender name]
[Sender address]
[date]
[Recipient name]
[Recipient address]
Dear [Recipient first name],
Reference for [name][, [NI number (if known)]
Thank you for your recent request for a reference for [Name of Ex-Employee].
As per your request, I have completed the reference request form provided.
[In summary, [Name of Ex-Employee] was
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A reference completed letter is a document that is provided by an employer in response to a request for a reference for an ex-employee. In some cases, the requesting party may provide a reference form that must be completed by the employer. In this case, the reference completed letter would be a response that includes the completed reference form.
The letter would typically include a brief introduction and confirmation of the request for a reference. It would then provide the completed reference form, including the employer's assessment of the ex-employee's performance, skills, and qualifications.
Related HR resources and workflow
Explore the HR resources that may be relevant before and / or after using the Reference completed (where form is provided) letter, helping you understand the wider process, maintain appropriate documentation and follow a consistent approach.
This form can be sent standalone to a referee nominated by the new employee, or alongside a cover letter.
This document is used where the Company wishes to acknowledge receipt of a reference given by another Company or individual, concerning a new joiner.
Use these best practice actions, recommended timescales and process stages to understand when and how the Reference completed (where form is provided) letter should be used, helping ensure each step is handled consistently and appropriately documented.
It is important for employers to ensure that the information provided in the reference completed letter is accurate, truthful, and not misleading, as they could be held liable for any losses incurred by the new employer if the reference is found to be inaccurate or misleading.
The Equality Act 2010: Ensures fair treatment and prohibits discrimination based on protected characteristics in providing references.
Data Protection Act 2018 (GDPR): Governs the processing of personal data, including information provided in references, ensuring confidentiality and data protection.
Employment Rights Act 1996: Sets out rights of employees to request and receive a reference from their employer.
The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998: Protects employees who disclose information about wrongdoing or malpractice in references.
The Data Protection (Subject Access Requests) Regulations 2019: Outlines employees' right to access the information provided in their reference.
Yes. This template has been designed for organisations of all sizes, including small businesses, charities and growing employers. It follows UK employment law best practice and can be adapted to suit your organisation.
Our templates are developed with UK employment legislation, Acas guidance and HR best practice in mind and are reviewed and updated as relevant requirements change. However, every employment situation is different, so the template should be adapted to the circumstances and checked against the employee's contract and your organisation's procedures before use.
Yes, we highlight the areas of the document that you need to update with your own details, and where you need to make decisions to suit your situation. This saves you time and ensures that you meet best practice.
Yes. Once purchased, you'll be able to download it instantly. Templates are provided in editable format (such as .doc or .xls) so you can customise them easily, and in PDF format for easy sharing.
If you're looking for broader support, we also offer toolkits and library bundles that include the Reference completed (where form is provided) letter template, along with other HR templates and policies for fully managing your situation. These may be more cost-effective if you need deeper advice.
AI can produce a document quickly, but effective HR documentation needs to be more than well-written words. It needs to reflect relevant UK employment law, HR best practice, practical considerations and the circumstances in which it will be used. These resources have been professionally developed around that wider HR context, drawing on extensive practical experience, rather than simply generating a generic document from a prompt.
Darryl Horn, Chartered HR Director
Darryl is a Chartered HR professional with over 25 years' experience in senior HR and employee relations roles.
He has extensive practical experience of managing reference response processes and founded hrdocbox to provide businesses with practical, professionally developed HR resources grounded in UK employment law and best practice.
"Darryl provides support and advice with excellent judgement, and has a strong understanding of people, policies and UK employment legislation."
"He is someone I trust; consistent, dependable, and committed to doing things properly."
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