Reference request letter template
A reference request letter asks a referee to confirm what an applicant has said about their work history or character. It names the applicant and the job, lists what the employer wants to know, and says how to send the reply. It is sent after a conditional offer, once the candidate has agreed that their referee can be contacted.
Adapted from Acas (29 July 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
What changes each time
8 values. Everything else is your wording, kept exactly.
The employer and the applicant
- Sender's name
- Employer name and address
- Date of letter
- Applicant's name
- Job title
The referee and the request
- Referee's name
- Type of reference requested
- How to return the reference
The rules it usually needs
Written in plain English when the template is set up.
- One of several wordings
“Type of reference: basic work reference, detailed work reference, or character reference.”
The conditional offer said a detailed work reference would be asked of the current employer, so the seven detailed questions were used and the basic and character lists left out.
One worked example, start to finish
The reference request letter in DocuWeave, from upload to approval.
1The document uploaded
The Acas reference request letter, a Word file, uploaded as it is.
- 2
The template it became
It found 5 sections and 7 values, and asked 3 questions before publishing. The type of reference is a choice of basic, detailed or character.
3The paperwork dropped in
The applicant's application form, the conditional offer, the candidate's consent email and a typed note.
4What was found, with sources
7 of 7 values filled from the paperwork, each with the passage it came from.
5What it asked
1 thing for a person: the paperwork gave two possible employer addresses.
6The approved output
Approved, with Word and PDF downloads of exactly what was approved.
A free reference request letter to download
- Reference request letter, filled with fictional details (Word)
- Reference request letter, filled with fictional details (PDF)
Use it as it is, or upload it to DocuWeave and make it a template.
DocuWeave is not a law firm. A general template for common situations in England and Wales. It is not tailored to you and we do not update it when the law changes, so check it suits your situation before you use it. Terms.
Adapted from Acas (29 July 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Questions people ask
Do I need the candidate's permission before asking for a reference?
It is good practice, and necessary where the referee is the current employer, who the candidate may not want to tell yet. Many employers make the offer conditional on references and get the candidate's agreement first.
What is the difference between a basic and a detailed reference request?
A basic request asks only for the job title and dates of employment. A detailed one also asks for duties, salary, absence record, any current disciplinary records and the reason for leaving.
When would you ask for a character reference?
For someone with little or no work history, such as a school leaver or someone returning after a long break, where a personal referee can speak about their character and strengths.
Can you ask a referee about sickness absence?
You can ask about the absence record, but not about absences related to disability or to parental rights such as maternity leave. The template says so in the question.
Can I use my own reference request letter instead of this one?
Yes. Upload your own Word or PDF version and DocuWeave turns it into a template in your wording, with the same kind of rules and the same filling from paperwork.
Use this template
It opens in DocuWeave as a template you can check, change and publish. Nothing is used until you do.