How to Draft an Employment Verification Letter (Templates & Samples)

Employment verification letters are drafted for incoming, current, and former employees to indicate their past, present, or current employment at a company. Typically, employment verification letters are requested by financial institutions, government departments, or landlords to prove an individual’s employment status for tax or security purposes. 

Employment verification letters are used in many situations; whether it be for proving work experience for a new job or getting approval on a loan, a letter showing proof of work is, in many cases, a mandatory part of an application package. 

This article will discuss the contents of an employment verification letter and will take a deep dive into different samples and templates to satisfy all employment verification request needs!

Here are the primary section that must be included in an employment verification letter:

• Employer name & contact details: An employment verification letter should always include the name of the employer and company, as well as the contact information that they can be reached by
• Employee’s job title or position: The employment verification letter should indicate the employee’s current/past job title to validate their position in the company. 
• Employment dates: Ensure that the employment verification letter expressly states the dates of employment that the employee was with the company for. 
• Employee’s job description: For the sake of transparency, indicate the employee’s duties at your company in their employment verification letter. This information may be used by future employers to gauge the employee’s skill level, so it is a useful addition to the letter!
• Employee’s pay/salary: Indicating the employee’s salary on their employment verification letter is important. In particular, if the employee is planning on using this letter at a financial institution, having salary information on the employment verification letter is crucial for their internal processes. 
• Employee’s employment status: Don’t forget to include the employee’s employment status on their employment verification letter. Employment categories that an employee may fall under are full-time, part-time, contract, or internship.

In this section, we will provide employment verification letter templates that contain the general  format used in employment verification letters for current employees and proof of work letters for past employees.

For current employee

For past employee

Here are some key tips and tricks for writing an employment verification letter:

1. Know what information needs to be included in the letter

Understanding the information that belongs in an employment verification letter is key to ensuring that your past (or current) employee has all the information they need to take the letter to where they need to go!

2. Make sure the information included is not confidential.

Private and confidential information about the company should not be included in an employment verification letter. Remember that employment verification letters simply act as a medium to relay extremely specific information and extraneous information should be left out.

3. Keep it brief

Keep the employment verification letter short and straight to the point. Avoid including information that is not directly pertinent to the information necessary to be included in an employment verification letter. 

4. Personalize the letter by adding your company letterhead

Provide authenticity to the employment verification letter by including the company letterhead. This shows the reader that the letter is not falsified. 

Now, using the same template we have provided, here is an employment verification letter sample that can be used as a reference point for employers seeking to write their own.

There are many benefits associated with having a set procedure for requesting an employment verification letter. Benefits include employees coming more prepared with the necessary documents, a deadline expectation that encourages a quick turnover rate, and a smooth chain of command that can be followed to eliminate confusion and inefficiency when processing employment verification letter requests. 

Here are the things to consider when developing the procedure for requesting an employment verification letter:

Request submission & document processing timeline

Establish a clear timeline starting from the time the employment verification letter request is filed to the time when the completed letter can be picked up. This ensures that employees are aware of how much time in advance they need to submit their information to receive a letter on time.

Method of request (through email, etc.)

Clearly state how the request for an employment verification letter should be filed. Requests via email are popular right now, but this largely depends on the size of the company and the system that is already in place. 

What data should be provided by the requesting employee

Finally, specify the exact data that is needed to be submitted alongside the employment verification letter request. This ensures that every request will be accompanied by the information necessary to fully complete the employment verification letter to the standard that is expected by the employee. 

Employees should be equally aware of the process involved in requesting an employment verification letter. Here are some things that an employee should consider when submitting a request. 

Know & follow the procedure

Understand the procedure involved in requesting an employment verification letter. Things take time in a company, and an employment verification letter request, while simple, could take a while. This is why companies generally have a policy surrounding these forms of requests; consult your employee handbook or ask around to see how much time in advance you submit your request before you can expect a response. 

Be polite & don’t rush them

Be considerate of your colleagues when applying for an employment verification letter. Everyone is busy, and rushing people ironically, just makes them slower. Employees should remain patient and never rush anyone when asking for their letter. 

Provide all the necessary information to be included in the letter

Being aware of the procedure involved in requesting an employment verification letter comes with being cognizant of the supplementary documents needed to complete the letter request expediently. These documents will vary on the company, so knowing which ones are needed is important!

To demonstrate how to ask for an employment verification letter, here is an example of a typical email sent to request one. 

Conclusion

Writing an employment verification letter is a simple and necessary process to undertake as an employer. When writing, ensure that all the necessary information is included in a concise and clear manner so as to avoid any confusion on the reader’s part. 

--- Originally written by Alexander Coye ---