When a member of staff leaves their role in your business for a new job, they may ask you for an employee reference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Businesses don\u2019t usually have to give a reference, but if you do find yourself writing one it\u2019s important to be aware of what you can and can\u2019t say. Whether you have one employee or many, read on to understand more about what to include in a reference letter so you can best support your people when they move on in their careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are only two instances when you legally have to give a reference:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even if you don\u2019t legally have to write a reference, it can be a nice thing to do to show support and gratitude for your people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the other hand, some businesses have an employee reference policy that says they won\u2019t give detailed references for employees at all. This will usually be mentioned in a staff handbook<\/a> and might restrict what you can say, or who\u2019s allowed to give references. We\u2019ll go into more detail about the difference between a basic reference and a detailed reference later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re going ahead and writing a reference, there are a few things to remember:<\/p>\n\n\n\nTips for writing a reference for an employee<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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