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Writing a Reference Letter for a Domestic Worker (Plus the Certificate of Service You Must Give)

When a domestic worker leaves your employment, two documents matter: the certificate of service, which the law obliges you to provide, and the reference letter, which is voluntary but often decides whether she finds her next job. This guide explains both, the legal risks of writing a dishonest reference, and gives you complete, printable templates for each.

Last reviewed June 2026 · wage figures from 1 March 2026

Two documents, two different jobs

A certificate of service is a neutral, factual record of the employment — who, where, what work, what dates, what pay. It contains no opinion and you must issue it whenever employment ends, whatever the circumstances. A reference letter is different: it is your voluntary, signed opinion of the worker's performance, honesty and reliability, and it carries weight precisely because you did not have to write it.

A worker leaving on good terms should walk away with both. A worker dismissed for misconduct is still entitled to the certificate of service — but not to a glowing reference you do not believe.

The certificate of service is a legal duty

Section 42 of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act entitles every employee, including a domestic worker, to a certificate of service on termination — and Sectoral Determination 7 repeats the duty for the domestic sector. It applies whether she resigned, was retrenched or was dismissed.

The certificate must state: the worker's full name; your name and address as the employer; the sectoral standard covering the work (Sectoral Determination 7: Domestic Worker Sector); the dates employment began and ended; the job title or a brief description of the work at the date of termination; and the remuneration at the date of termination. The reason for termination is included only if the employee asks for it — you may not volunteer it, and she may prefer it left off. The Department of Labour's prescribed form for this is form BCEA 5, but any document containing the same information complies.

What to include in a reference letter

Keep it to one page, on the facts you can stand behind. A credible domestic worker reference covers the points below — and crucially, includes a phone number so the next employer can verify it (with your consent to be contacted).

• Your full name, suburb/town and contact number, and your relationship to the worker (employer)
• Exact employment dates and whether the work was full-time, part-time or live-in
• Her duties in concrete terms: cleaning, laundry, cooking, childcare (ages of children), garden, pets
• Reliability: punctuality, attendance, how she handled keys, alarm and the home in your absence
• Honesty and trustworthiness — only if you can vouch for it without hesitation
• Specific strengths with an example (e.g. excellent with toddlers; meticulous ironing)
• Why the employment ended (relocation, emigration, reduced hours — keep it factual)
• Whether you would re-employ her — the sentence every future employer looks for

The legal risk of a dishonest reference

References are not legally risk-free, in either direction. If you write something false and damaging — say, hinting at theft you never proved — the worker can sue for defamation, and an untrue negative reference that costs her a job can found a claim for the income she lost. If you do the opposite and write a falsely glowing reference to move a problem along, the next employer who relies on it can in principle claim against you for negligent misrepresentation. South African legal commentary notes that while no reported judgment has yet awarded damages specifically for an employment reference, the ordinary law of delict clearly supports such claims, so the safe course is simple honesty.

The practical rules: state only what is true, factual and relevant; avoid speculation, rumour and unproven allegations; get the worker's consent before sharing her personal information with a prospective employer (the Protection of Personal Information Act applies); and keep what you say consistent — don't write 'excellent' and then tell callers the opposite.

If the worker left on bad terms

You are never obliged to write a reference. If you cannot honestly recommend someone, decline politely and issue only the certificate of service, which is neutral by design — remember that even the reason for termination appears on it only if the worker requests it. If a prospective employer phones you, you may answer truthfully and factually; stick to what you can prove ('her employment ended after a disciplinary process' rather than 'she's a thief').

Never use a reference as a bargaining chip — withholding the certificate of service to pressure a worker over a dispute breaches the BCEA. Hand it over with her final pay, along with her UIF documentation so she can claim benefits. If you are still mid-process with a termination, first check the notice and severance rules in our guide to employing a domestic worker.

How to use the templates below

Replace every [PLACEHOLDER] with your details, delete any clause that does not apply, print, sign and date. Give the worker the originals and keep copies with your employment records — you must keep records for three years. If you are hiring rather than letting someone go, start instead with our interview questions and reference-check script and a proper employment contract.

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