Free downloads · Free Word pack · for HR and office
The six emails you send about certificates anyway
“Your CSCS card expires in 30 days” — how do you say that without it feeling like being checked up on, and with effect? This Word pack holds the six emails every construction and transport firm sends about certificates, written out in a matter-of-fact tone: copy, replace the fields, send.
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The six templates
- Reminder at 90 days — early and friendly — the moment booking a course is still easy.
- Reminder at 30 days — urgent, with the consequence stated plainly: no valid certificate, no deployment.
- Certificate expired — the hardest email — 'you can't be deployed for now' — with the route back in it.
- Chasing the evidence — getting the card or certificate in after the refresher, because without the evidence on file it doesn't count.
- Subcontractor onboarding — requesting the complete document pack before the gang starts.
- Team announcement — explaining once how certificate management works from now on — stops reminders feeling like distrust.
The tone does the work
Certificate emails rarely fail on content; they fail on tone. Too soft and nothing happens, too hard and it feels like an attack. The templates deliberately pick the middle: factual about the consequence, helpful about the solution, and always addressed to a colleague rather than a case.
The honest footnote: emails one to four Certly sends automatically, at exactly the right moment and with an upload link for the new evidence. This pack is for everyone who (still) does it by hand.
Frequently asked questions
How do I remind a worker about an expiring certificate without the awkwardness?
Start early (around 90 days), name the date specifically, ask for one clear action (send me a course date) and save the consequence for the 30-day email. Whoever only emails when it's nearly too late forces themselves into a hard tone — the timing sets the mood.
What do I write when the certificate has already expired?
Factually and without blame: since what date it's expired, what that means (not deployable on work that requires the certificate), and the route back — book a refresher today, send the evidence straight away, then back on the programme. Copy in the planner or supervisor so availability is known everywhere.
Can I use these templates freely?
Yes, within your own organisation you can use and adapt them freely. Keep the register consistent if you rewrite them — the templates are written to a colleague, first name, no legalese.
Further reading
- Why absence has no status: the certificate you never see missing
- From spreadsheet to training matrix software
- The free training matrix template (Excel) to track the dates yourself
Rather have this happen by itself?
Certly tracks certificates, inspections and licences automatically: reminders at 90, 60 and 30 days, escalation at 14 and 7, and an evidence pack at the press of a button. Trying it costs nothing.