Employment reference letter for Australian employers
A structured reference covering dates, duties and observed strengths — with guidance on the part that matters most: anything you write must be accurate and capable of being substantiated.
Reference letter
PDF · 2 pages · no signup
General information only, not legal advice.
This template is general information for Australian employers, not legal advice. Obligations depend on the applicable modern award or agreement, the employment contract and the circumstances — confirm anything you are unsure of with Fair Work or a workplace relations adviser. It does not constitute legal, HR, or professional advice and should not be relied on as a substitute for advice specific to your business, workforce, or circumstances.
Generate a compliant contract
Draft an employment contract for the role in a couple of minutes, with Australian conditions built in — free, no signup.
What's in the template
A reference you can complete in five minutes without exposing the business.
Dates and duties
Position held, employment dates, your relationship to the employee, main responsibilities.
Observed strengths
Prompts for reliability, quality of work and working with others — framed as what you observed, not a general impression.
Accuracy guidance
You are not obliged to give a reference, but an inaccurate one creates exposure to the employee and the new employer.
What to avoid
No health information, no personal circumstances, nothing that could be discriminatory.
The short-form option
Where the relationship ended badly, a factual confirmation of dates and duties is a legitimate response.
Signature block
Name, position and date, so the recipient knows who is standing behind it.
The rule that governs references in Australia
You are not required to give one. If you do, accuracy is the whole obligation.
No duty to provide
There is no general legal obligation on an Australian employer to provide a reference. Declining is lawful, provided you decline consistently rather than selectively.
But it must be accurate
A misleadingly positive reference can expose you to the new employer; an unfairly negative one can expose you to the former employee. Both risks come from the same failure — writing something you cannot substantiate.
Stick to what you observed
Describe conduct and output you saw directly. Avoid predicting suitability for a role you know nothing about.
One owner
Nominate one person in the business to handle references, so tone and content stay consistent and nothing goes out unreviewed.
When the relationship ended badly
You are not obliged to be enthusiastic, and you should not be dishonest in either direction. A short factual reference — position held, dates of employment, main duties — is a recognised and defensible response.\n\nWhat causes trouble is editorialising about conduct, particularly anything relating to a dispute, a health issue or a termination. If in doubt, confirm the facts and stop there.
How to write it
Four steps.
1. Confirm consent
The employee should have asked you, and should know what the reference will say.
2. Fill in the facts
Position, dates, duties. These are objective and easy.
3. Add what you observed
Two or three specific strengths with an example each. Specific beats effusive.
4. Review and sign
Read it as though the employee will see it — because they usually will.
If you would not be comfortable with the employee reading it, do not send it.
Who writes references
Managers and business owners
The person who actually supervised the work is the one whose reference carries weight.
HR and office managers
A single template keeps tone consistent across a business with many managers.
Businesses with seasonal staff
Hospitality and retail write these constantly as casual staff move on.
Do your clients ask you to draft employment letters?
References, verification letters and offer letters land on whoever handles the client's HR admin — usually the bookkeeper. Advisors who bring shift-based clients onto RosterElf earn recurring monthly income for every employee managed.
Recurring monthly income
$1.00–$2.00 per active employee
Signup bonus
$100 per new client business
Tiered rates
Bronze through Diamond
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Learn moreReference letter questions
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No. There is no general obligation on an Australian employer to provide a reference. If you do choose to, it must be accurate — that is the obligation that attaches.
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Position held, employment dates, your relationship to the employee, main duties, and two or three specific strengths you observed with an example each.\n\nLeave out health information, personal circumstances and anything that could be discriminatory.
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You can give an honest one, but the risk sits in anything you cannot substantiate. An unfairly negative reference can expose you to the former employee.\n\nWhere the relationship ended badly, a short factual reference confirming position, dates and duties is a recognised and safer response.
Before you download
General information only — not legal advice
This document is a general HR template provided for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and may not reflect the latest changes in legislation or apply to every workplace situation. RosterElf Pty Ltd and the template provider accept no liability for any loss arising from reliance on this document. Users should seek independent legal advice and customise the template to ensure it complies with all relevant laws, awards and workplace requirements.