Reference Letter Template

Reference Letter: [Candidate name]

A factual, fair reference or recommendation letter for a current or former employee, colleague or student: how you know the person, verified facts about their role, evidence-based observations and a clear recommendation, plus a data protection checklist. Based on common employment practice, with UK Acas and ICO guidance as dated examples. Replace every [bracketed] value and every line marked Example. This is a letter format, not legal advice: check your organisation's reference policy and the law where you work.

1. Letter

[Your name] [Job title, organisation] [Contact details]

[Date: YYYY-MM-DD]

[Recipient name, organisation]

Reference for [candidate name]

Dear [Recipient name],

I am writing in response to your request of [date] for a reference for [candidate name], who has applied for the role of [role] with you. I write in my capacity as [their line manager / colleague / tutor at organisation] [on behalf of / in a personal capacity, not on behalf of] [organisation].

Relationship and facts. [Candidate name] worked at [organisation] as [job title] from [MM/YYYY] to [MM/YYYY or present]. I [managed / worked alongside] them for [N months or years]. Their main responsibilities were [two or three responsibilities].

Observations. [Two or three short paragraphs on skills and behaviours relevant to the new role, each with a specific example you observed. Distinguish what you saw yourself from what you heard.]

Recommendation. [Clear statement, for example: I recommend them for this role without reservation / for roles involving X.]

I am happy to answer questions about the facts in this letter at [contact].

Yours sincerely,

[Your name]

Example (fictional): Daniel Osei, Engineering Manager at Larkspur Analytics, writes a personal recommendation for Tomas Lindqvist, a former engineer on his team whom he managed from 03/2024 to 08/2026. He cites one result he observed: Tomas rebuilt the team's test pipeline and cut the average build time from 22 to 9 minutes. He states that he writes in a personal capacity, as company policy limits official references to dates and job title.

2. Fairness and data protection checklist

• The candidate agreed to you being contacted and knows what type of reference you will give.
• Every fact (dates, title, results) is checked against records.
• Opinions rest on examples you observed, and the overall picture is fair, not selective.
• No sensitive or protected characteristics, no unproven allegations.
• The letter is sent only to the requester, by a secure channel, and a copy is kept according to your organisation's retention rules.

Dated pointers:

• UK: Acas (page updated 1 October 2026) says employers usually do not have to give a reference, except where agreed in writing, for certain FCA- or PRA-regulated roles, or in a settlement agreement: https://www.acas.org.uk/providing-a-job-reference. The ICO describes an exemption for confidential references given or received for employment, education and similar purposes, which can limit the candidate's right of access to them: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/exemptions/a-guide-to-the-data-protection-exemptions/
• EU: a reference contains personal data, so the GDPR applies (Regulation (EU) 2016/679): have a lawful basis, keep to accurate and relevant facts, and follow national rules, some of which give employees a right to a written work certificate. Check national law.
• US: no general federal duty to give references; many employers limit them by policy, and state laws differ. Check your employer's policy and the state concerned.

Standard and licence note

Based on common employment practice for references, with UK Acas and ICO guidance checked on 2026-10-30 as dated examples. Not legal advice: check your organisation's policy and the law where you work. Original text written for this collection; people and organisations are fictional. Template licence: MIT.