If you’ve ever received a request for an
employment verification letter and have never had to write one for an employee, chances are you’re not very familiar with what it is and when it's needed. And that makes sense; these letters — which provide proof of employment — are certainly not the most common type of professional letter. Even if you’ve read up on
how to format a business letter, you may still feel like you need to see a sample employment verification letter template before you’re comfortable writing or requesting one. Read on to learn how to write this type of letter.
What is an employment verification letter?
People with whom you're conducting business may need proof that you are employed from time to time. An employment verification letter, also known as a proof of employment letter, serves as this evidence. As the employee, you'll ask a representative from your workplace to provide her signature on the letter so you can deliver it to the person(s) who requested it.
For the most part, you can likely write the letter yourself, including your status as a full- or part-time employee and stating any other information requested, such as annual salary, number of hours you work in a given week, and so on.
Who needs an employment verification letter?
First, you may want to get a better sense of when your verification of employment — or, if you’re an employer, proof of employment for an employee at your company — might be needed. An employee may need to request a letter providing verification of employment for a number of reasons.
Buying or renting a home
When you’re in the process of buying or renting a home, you will most likely be asked for a letter that includes the company name for your current employment, your job title, and your annual salary or income for income verification. Oftentimes, landlords or financial institutions will request a proof of employment letter verifying your current salary and current employment so that they have proof that you are earning enough income to be able to pay your rent or maintenance each month.
New job
When you’re applying for a new job, a potential employer may also want to have proof of employment from your previous employers. Companies often do background checks on prospective employees to confirm that job applicants are being truthful about their employment history (where and when they worked where, their job title, etc. — though if this is the purpose of the letter, it may be illegal for the potential employer to ask for your
salary history). Employment verification letters can be requested from a current employer or a past employer.
You may be asked for an employment verification letter for other purposes as well, but these are the most common scenarios under which you'll need one.
Whom to ask for your letter
If you ever need to ask for an employment verification letter because you have an employment verification request from a prospective employer or for an application to buy or rent a home, you may need to ask your boss or manager (or former boss or manager), who may direct you to a human resource employee if your company has an HR department.
While this kind of letter serves a very specific purpose, it’s really not so different from a
recommendation letter or reference letter; in fact, it’s even a bit
more simple because the writer is not expected to comment on the subject’s character or skills — they’re merely supposed to provide details about the employee’s current salary and job title.
Sample employment verification letters
The below sample employment verification letters will provide you with a good sense of how these letters tend to be written (and, like in any business letter, don’t forget that a good
letter closing is key!)
Employment verification letter for current employee
Letter writer’s name
Letter writer’s title
Letter writer’s company’s name
Letter writer’s address/phone number/email address
Date letter is written
Recipient’s name
Recipient’s title
Recipient’s company name
Recipient’s address (or company address)
Dear Ms. Rosen: (use a formal greeting or salutation unless you have a personal, close relationship with the person to whom you're writing. Be sure to include a colon rather than a comma after the recipient’s name.)
I am writing to verify that Lucy Smith has been employed by Company Name since January 15, 2010.
She earns an annual salary of $65,000.
If you need any additional information about Lucy’s employment at Company Name, please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or XXX-XXX-XXXX.
Sincerely,
(Leave an extra blank space here so you can add a handwritten signature)
Letter writer’s name (typed)
Letter writer’s title
Letter writer’s company name
Employment verification letter for former employee
Letter writer’s name
Letter writer’s title
Letter writer’s company’s name
Letter writer’s address/phone number/email address
Date letter is written
Recipient’s name
Recipient’s title
Recipient’s company name
Recipient’s address (or company address)
Dear Ms. Rosen: (use a formal greeting or salutation unless you have a personal, close relationship with the person to whom you're writing. Be sure to include a colon rather than a comma after the recipient’s name.)
I am writing to verify that Lucy Smith was employed by Company Name from January 15, 2010 through May 12, 2013.
She earned an annual salary of $65,000.
If you need any additional information about Lucy’s employment at Company Name, please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or XXX-XXX-XXXX.
Sincerely,
(Leave an extra blank space here so you can add a handwritten signature)
Letter writer’s name (typed)
Letter writer’s title
Letter writer’s company name
As you’ll see, the above employment verification letter templates are short and sweet — and that’s how it should be. These letters are not meant to be overflowing with flowery language; rather, they should be concise and, of course, carefully proofread for errors.
Tips for using employment verification letter samples
- Research your company policy to ensure you don't miss anything.
- Read the request thoroughly so you include all the necessary information
- Include the recipient's name wherever possible; otherwise, add "To whom it may concern" instead.
- Make all letters consistent.
- If you don't have a process in place for writing these letters, it's a good idea to establish one for the future.
