Assemble a printable reference from the employment facts and examples you type, with nothing added. Choose a full employment reference, a personal reference or a facts-only confirmation of dates and job title.
ONLY WHAT YOU KNOWNo account needed
Edit the fictional sample. The letter uses only the facts and examples you type; it adds no praise of its own. Your draft stays in this tab if you refresh, and nothing is uploaded or sent.
Step 1 of 4Letter type and writer
A reference from an employer or manager: the facts of the job, how you know the person, their duties and strengths you saw yourself.
Step 2 of 4The employee
Step 3 of 4Duties and strengths
Add only strengths you saw yourself, each with a specific example the reader could follow up. The letter prints them as you type them.
Strength 1
This is already the first strength.
Strength 2
This is already the last strength.
Step 4 of 4Recipient and sign-off
Leave the recipient empty for a letter that starts “To whom it may concern”.
Meadow Corner12 Example RoadSpringfield555-0131sam@example.com
November 2, 2026
Taylor MorganRiverside Books
Reference for Jordan Lee
Dear Taylor Morgan,
I am writing to provide a reference for Jordan Lee. Jordan Lee worked at Meadow Corner from March 6, 2023 to October 31, 2026 as Sales assistant and Assistant manager.
I was Jordan's line manager for the whole of that time and worked alongside Jordan on most weekday shifts.
Jordan's duties included:
Opening and closing the shop
Counting the till and preparing the bank deposit
Placing the weekly order with two suppliers
Training new sales assistants
Strengths I observed in Jordan's work, with examples:
Careful cash handling: Jordan counted the till at close on most weekdays, and the counts I checked matched the register.
Training new staff: Jordan trained three new sales assistants in 2025 using our opening checklist.
I would employ Jordan again.
Please contact me by phone or email if you would like more information.
Sincerely,
Sam Rivera
Store manager, Meadow Corner
Write a reference for a current or former employee from the facts you know and the examples you saw yourself. This free reference letter template assembles the letter from what you type: the writer's details, the employee's job titles and dates, how you know them, their duties and the strengths you observed. It adds no praise of its own. Start with the fictional sample, a reference from Meadow Corner's store manager for Jordan Lee, then replace the details and print or download.
Make a reference letter for an employee
Choose the type of letter: an employment reference, a character or personal reference, or a confirmation of employment only.
Enter your name, your job title, the business and how the reader can contact you.
Add the employee's full name, their job titles, one per line, and the dates they started and left. Tick Still works here for a current employee, and the letter says "since" the start date.
Write a sentence saying how you know the employee and for how long, such as "I was Jordan's line manager from June 2024."
For an employment reference, list the main duties and add up to six strengths, each with an example you saw. Choose whether to include a re-hire statement.
Add the recipient, or leave it empty for a letter that starts "To whom it may concern", then the date, a closing sentence and the sign-off.
Read the wording check and the preview, then print the letter or download it as text.
Use Start blank to keep your own details and clear the employee's, or Reset sample to see the example again.
Choose the right kind of reference letter
An employee reference letter from a manager covers the job itself: the dates, the job titles, what the work involved and what you saw the person do. A character reference letter comes from someone who knows the person in another way, such as a colleague, a volunteer coordinator or a long-standing customer, so employment dates are optional and the letter leans on how you know them.
Many employers give only a confirmation of employment: the name, the dates and the job title. Choose Confirmation of employment only and the letter states those facts, says that it confirms them only, and leaves out duties, strengths and a re-hire statement. Check your business's own policy before you write any other kind of reference, since some businesses ask managers to send reference requests to one person.
Write a reference you can stand behind
A reference letter for an employee is read by someone deciding whether to hire them, so keep to what you can show. GOV.UK's page on work references says a reference must be fair and accurate, and can be brief, such as job title, salary and when the person was employed. Acas has guidance for UK employers on providing a job reference.
Give examples, not adjectives. "Counted the till at close on most weekdays, and the counts I checked matched the register" tells the reader more than "excellent with money".
Say what you saw yourself. Leave out anything you heard from others.
Leave out protected characteristics. Age, health, disability, pregnancy, family status, religion, race and nationality do not belong in a reference unless the person has asked you to mention something. The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says it is illegal for an employer to give a negative or false employment reference, or refuse to give one, because of characteristics such as race, religion, sex or age.
The wording check flags a short list of phrases, such as "always", "the best" or "will be an asset", and words about health, age or family, quoting each one so you can decide whether to keep it. It never blocks printing. Rules on giving references, and on what they may say, vary by place, and this page is not legal advice.
Print or download the letter
Print / PDF opens the browser's print dialog. The letter prints on the dialog's paper size with space for your signature above your typed name; choose Save as PDF to send it by email. The text download has the same wording for pasting into your own letterhead.
The draft is kept in this browser tab when browser storage is available, and nothing you type is uploaded or sent. Download or print a copy before closing the tab or replacing the draft.
Frequently asked questions
Can I write a reference letter without an account?
Yes. The builder opens with a fictional example and works without a login or email address. Everything stays on your device.
Does the template write praise for me?
No. Apart from fixed connecting sentences, such as "I am writing to provide a reference for", the dates sentence and the sign-off, every word comes from what you type. If you add no strengths, the letter keeps to the facts.
What should I do when an employee leaves?
Agree what kind of reference you will give as part of the offboarding checklist, and note the job titles and dates while they are fresh. The employee can use the letter alongside the resume builder when they apply for their next job.
Can I write a reference for someone I did not manage?
Yes. Choose a character or personal reference and say how you know the person. Keep to what you saw, and leave out details of their employment that you cannot confirm.