England: templates and forms

For an employee in England, Wales or Scotland who is leaving their job: a letter that resigns, states the notice your contract requires (at least one week once you have worked a month, section 86 of the Employment Rights Act 1996) and the last day of employment, and asks for written confirmation, final pay including holiday earned and not taken, and your P45. Hand it to your manager and send it by email the same day, keeping a copy.

For a director of a private limited company in the UK who is stepping down. The letter resigns with effect from a stated date, asks the company to notify Companies House within 14 days on form TM01 and update its records, and states that resigning as a director does not by itself end any job or shareholding. Under the model articles a resignation takes effect as it states once the company receives it. A company must keep at least one director who is an individual, so a sole director arranges a replacement first.

For anyone in England, Wales or Scotland with a workplace or personal pension who wants to know what it is worth, or has lost touch with the scheme after moving house or changing job. A letter to the scheme administrator or provider asking for a statement of your benefits under the pension disclosure regulations of 2013 — the value built up, any transfer value and the date you can take it — and updating your address. Posted first class. Find a lost scheme's contact details free with the Pension Tracing Service on GOV.UK.

For a borrower or customer who cannot keep up with a loan, credit card, overdraft or bill after a change such as job loss, illness or a cut in income. The letter explains what has changed, offers a monthly payment you can afford and asks the creditor to accept it, freeze interest and charges, and confirm in writing. FCA rules require lenders to treat customers in financial difficulty with forbearance. Free debt advice is also available from MoneyHelper, StepChange and Citizens Advice anywhere in the UK, from National Debtline in Great Britain, and from Advice Direct Scotland and Advice NI. Send it by email and by first class post.

For an employee in England, Wales or Scotland who looks after a family member or someone who relies on them with a long-term care need: a notice taking carer's leave under the Carer's Leave Act 2023 — up to one week in any 12 months, from your first day in the job, in half days, days or a whole week. It gives the dates and who the care is for, by relationship only. The employer may postpone, but not refuse, the leave, and cannot require evidence. The law does not insist on writing, but a written notice is your proof. Hand it in and email it, keeping a copy.

For an employee in England, Wales or Scotland who needs time off beyond their holiday — a long trip, a family matter, study — and wants their employer's agreement: a letter asking for unpaid leave between two dates, with the return date, and asking the employer to confirm in writing your return to the same job and what happens to holiday, pension and benefits. There is no general right to unpaid leave; carer's leave, parental leave and time off for dependants are separate statutory rights. Hand it in and email it.

For a consumer whose builder, decorator, garage, repairer or other service provider did the work badly or not as agreed. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 a trader must perform a service with reasonable care and skill; the letter asks for the work to be put right at the trader's cost or, where that is not possible, for a price reduction (sections 49, 55 and 56), and is a letter before claim with 14 days to reply. Send it by email and by first class post, with photos.

For a consumer whose complaint to a trader has got nowhere — a refund refused, a deposit kept, money owed for faulty goods or poor work. This is the letter before claim the Practice Direction on Pre-Action Conduct expects before a court claim: it sets out the claim and the amount, lists your documents and gives 14 days to reply, and says you will otherwise claim in the County Court, through Money Claim Online. Send it by email and by first class post with a free certificate of posting, and keep a copy.

For a consumer who bought goods or a service online, by phone or away from the trader's premises and has changed their mind. The notice cancels the contract within the 14-day cancellation period of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, with no reason needed, and asks for a refund within 14 days. The model cancellation form the trader must give you, or its own online form, does the same job free. Send it by email and by first class post with a free certificate of posting, and keep a copy.

For an employee in England, Wales or Scotland with parental responsibility (in Scotland, parental responsibilities) for a child under 18: a notice taking unpaid parental leave, giving the child, the dates and the number of weeks. The default rules allow 18 weeks for each child, up to four weeks a year, in whole weeks, with at least 21 days' notice; since 6 April 2026 the right starts on your first day. The employer can postpone the leave for up to six months, but not refuse it. Hand it in and email it.

For an employer in England, Wales or Scotland taking on an employee on a permanent contract: a contract that is also the written statement of employment particulars under section 1 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, which every employee and worker must have on or before their first day. It sets out the job, place of work, pay, hours, at least 5.6 weeks' holiday, sick pay, pension enrolment, notice and where the disciplinary and grievance rules are. Acas publishes free written-statement templates. Signed by both; each keeps a copy.

For an employee in England, Wales or Scotland who is the child's father, or the mother's spouse, civil partner or partner: a notice of paternity leave — one week, two weeks together or two separate weeks, within a year of the birth — giving the expected week of childbirth, the dates and the declaration that you will share responsibility for the child's upbringing. Since 6 April 2026 the leave is a right from your first day; the pay still needs 26 weeks' service. Hand it in and email it.

For a worker in England, Wales or Scotland whose employer, or former employer, has not given them their papers: one letter asking for any of missing payslips (section 8 of the Employment Rights Act 1996), a P60 for a tax year, the P45 after leaving, and the written statement of employment particulars (section 1). Fill in only the lines you need; the others drop out. It gives 14 days and names the next steps: a tribunal reference, and telling HMRC. Sent first class and by email.

For an employer and an employee in England, Wales or Scotland: an agreement that the employee keeps the employer's confidential information secret during and after the employment, keeps it secure and returns it on leaving. It states plainly what it cannot stop — whistleblowing, reporting a crime, the disclosures a victim of crime may make, speaking about harassment, discrimination or pay — and contains no non-compete or other restriction after the job ends. Signed by both.

For the driver or keeper of a vehicle given a council penalty charge notice (PCN) for parking in England or Wales who thinks it is wrong and has not yet received a Notice to Owner. The letter gives the ticket's details, the reasons it should be cancelled and the evidence. Councils generally hold the 50% discount while they consider a challenge made within 14 days. The council's free online challenge form does the same job; this letter suits post or email. Not for private car park tickets or police fines.

For an employee in England, Wales or Scotland who wants to change their hours, days or place of work — part-time, compressed hours, home or hybrid working: a dated, written statutory request under section 80F of the Employment Rights Act 1996, giving your present pattern, the change and when it should start, and saying whether you made another request in the last 12 months. It is a right from your first day, and the employer must decide within two months. Hand it in and email it.

For a worker in England, Wales or Scotland whose employer, or former employer, has not paid wages, final pay, overtime or holiday pay that is due: a letter before claim setting out what is owed and how it is worked out, the total, the unlawful-deductions rule in section 13 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, and 14 days to pay, naming the next steps — Acas early conciliation, which is free and online, then an employment tribunal claim. Sent first class and by email.

For an employee in England, Wales or Scotland whose statutory request for flexible working has been turned down: a letter appealing against the decision, giving your grounds — a reason outside the eight the law allows, wrong facts, no real consultation — and any alternative you would accept, asking for an appeal meeting with a companion. The whole decision, appeal included, must be made within two months of the request unless you agree longer. Hand it in and email it.

For an employee anywhere in the UK who is off work sick and wants to tell the employer in writing. The letter gives the day the absence began and when you expect to return, says you are self-certifying the first seven days and will send a fit note if the absence lasts longer, and asks for statutory or contractual sick pay, which since 6 April 2026 is payable from the first day. It describes no illness. Sent by email or handed in. Sold blank, to complete by hand, as it holds health data DocMuse does not collect.

For a pregnant employee in England, Wales or Scotland: the written notice of your pregnancy, the expected week of childbirth, the date you want your maternity leave to start and the date for Statutory Maternity Pay, given by the end of the 15th week before the expected week, with your MAT B1 certificate enclosed or to follow. It asks your employer to confirm in writing, within 28 days, when your leave ends and what you will be paid. GOV.UK explains maternity pay and leave free. Hand it in and email it.

For an employee in England, Wales or Scotland made redundant after at least two years' continuous employment whose redundancy pay has not been paid: the written claim to the employer that section 164 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 asks for within six months, giving the dates, your figure if you have one, 14 days to pay and a request for the written calculation, then naming Acas early conciliation and the tribunal. GOV.UK's redundancy pay calculator is free. Sent first class and by email.

For a worker in England, Wales or Scotland who wants to book paid holiday: a dated written request giving the first and last day and the number of working days, asking for written approval. Unless your contract or holiday rules say otherwise, the Working Time Regulations 1998 ask for notice of twice the length of the leave, and let the employer refuse only by counter-notice as long as the leave. Acas explains the rules free. Send it by email or hand it in, keeping a copy.

For a worker in England, Wales or Scotland with a problem at work that talking has not solved — treatment by a manager or colleague, workload, pay, bullying, a change imposed without agreement: a formal written grievance under the Acas Code of Practice, saying what happened and what you want, asking for a meeting without unreasonable delay and to bring a colleague or union representative. Acas's Code and guidance are free. Hand it in and email it.

For an employer and an employee in England, Wales or Scotland who agree that the employee will work partly or wholly from home: a signed variation of the contract setting out the pattern of days, the start date, equipment, any contribution to costs, workstation safety, data security, an optional trial period and how the arrangement can be reviewed or ended. Everything else in the contract stays the same. Signed by both; each keeps a copy.