Reference Request Letter And Form by Business Gateway

Updated 17 October 2025

This template provides a covering letter to formally request a reference for a prospective employee, accompanied by a detailed reference request form. The form prompts the referee to provide information on the applicant's employment history, work qualities, attendance, and suitability for the applied position. All information provided is to be treated with the utmost confidence.

BGBusiness Gateway

Reference Request Covering Letter

Private & Confidential

<<Contact Name>>

<<Title>>

<<Company Name>>

<<Address>>

<<Post Code>>

<<Date>>

Dear <<Name>>

Re: <<Name and Address of Prospective Employee>>

I/We would be grateful if you could kindly provide us with a reference on the person named above who has applied to us for the position of <<job description>> by completing the enclosed reference request form.

All information you provide will be treated with the utmost confidence.

A stamped addressed envelope is enclosed.

Yours sincerely

<<Name>>

<<Title>>

Enc. Reference request form Stamped addressed envelope

Telephone/Written Reference Request - CONFIDENTIAL

Reference for:

Position applied for: Job Ref:

Name of Referee:

Relationship to candidate:

If previous or current employer, please complete the following:

Dates employed:

If they have left your employment, why?

How many days off sick in the last year?

Did they have any disciplinary action pending?

Would you re-employ them?

Please rate the applicant’s qualities under each of the following headings:

	Very Good	Good	Average	Poor	Very Poor
Timekeeping
Trustworthy/Honest
Reliability
Attitude to work
Quality of work
Ability to work with others
Attendance

Please answer the following questions:

Length of service :
Length of time you have known the person:
Time keeping:
Attendance - including number of absences, or, number of days sickness, and the timescale;	(Please note: When providing information about an individual’s sickness absence record, it is essential to provide only verifiable facts about attendance history, and not to include subjective statements. Even seemingly positive statements [e.g.: “maintained good attendance despite disability”] could be seen as discriminatory. It is not appropriate to provide background information about medical conditions or disability.)
Suitability for the post applied for:
Current disciplinary record (if applicable):
Any other comments?

If you need to add more information, please continue on a separate piece of paper.

Signed: ....................................... Date: ...............................

Name: ....................................... Official stamp (if applicable):

About this template

What is this template?

Reference Request Letter And Form by Business Gateway is a free, ready-to-use Employment Contracts template you can open, customize, and download on GitLaw. It gives you a professionally structured starting point, so you never have to draft from a blank page. The wording is plain and modern, organized into clear sections that are easy to read, edit, and adapt to your own situation before you share or sign it.

When should you use it?

Reach for this Employment Contracts template whenever you need a reliable agreement quickly and want to be sure the essentials are covered. It suits individuals, freelancers, startups, and established businesses alike. Instead of paying for a document drafted from scratch, you can start here, tailor the details to your arrangement, and have a polished draft ready in minutes. Always review the final wording against the laws that apply where you live or do business.

What's typically included?

A well-drafted Employment Contracts usually sets out the parties involved, the scope of the agreement, and each side's rights and responsibilities. Expect sections covering key terms and definitions, how long the agreement lasts, how it can be ended, and what happens if something goes wrong. This template brings those building blocks together in a sensible order, so you can focus on the specifics rather than worrying about what to include. Open it to read the full document, then sign up to edit, negotiate, and e-sign it directly in GitLaw.