Key Takeaways

  • An employment verification letter (EVL) confirms information about a person’s job history, roles and responsibilities, and salary.

  • These letters are commonly requested when applying for a new job, mortgage or credit applications, and rental applications.

  • EVLs are also called  “experience letters,” “proof of employment letters,” or “verification of employment” (VOE).

  • Employment verification letters must include certain details, but there are also many things they cannot include.

  • It is best practice to have a lawyer review your employment verification letters to ensure compliance with a company’s policies, including surrounding privacy.

  • This article includes a free employment verification letter template that serves as an excellent starting point.

  • Post a job on UpCounsel to find a lawyer to review your employment verification letter.

 

Certain individuals and institutions (including banks and HR departments of prospective employers) often need to verify information about someone’s income and job responsibilities. 
 

The most common way to do this is to request an employment verification letter (EVL) from their previous employers. 
 

Fortunately, we've created a free template to simplify this process. Keep reading to access this template and learn crucial information about employment verification letters.

 

Understanding the Employment Verification Letter: Purpose and Uses

 

What is an employment verification letter, and how are they used?
 

An employment verification letter confirms someone’s current or former employment status with an employer. You might also hear them called “experience letters,” “proof of employment letters,” or “verification of employment” (VOE).
 

Employees sometimes need these letters for: 
 

  • Future employment

  • A mortgage or credit application

  • Rental applications

 

Employers must be careful in drafting these letters to avoid potential liability. Employees must also understand the rules surrounding these letters to ensure they get a letter that will serve their purposes.
 

On a related note, getting employment contracts right the first time is important. Make sure to use our Employment Contract Template for help with writing one.

 

Common Scenarios for Requesting an Employment Verification Letter

 

Employment verification letters are commonly used when confirmation of a person’s income, job status, and job responsibilities is needed.

Why Would You Need an Employment Verification Letter?

Here are some common scenarios in which an employee might request an EVL:
 

  • A prospective future employer may want to ensure that the information an applicant provides about their prior employment is accurate. 

  • Some departing employees request them so they can provide them along with job applications. 

  • Mortgage lenders, finance companies (for car loans, for example), and landlords often require verification letters for current employment to verify an ongoing source of income. 

  • For insurance reasons or by government agencies in wage garnishment situations.

 

Essential Elements of an Employment Verification Letter

 

An employment verification letter should include the following details about the employee:
 

  • Name

  • Job title

  • Salary and benefits

  • Employment status (current or past)

  • Employment dates

  • Job Responsibilities

  • Reason for termination (if applicable)

  • Employee contact information

 

The letter should also be printed on company letterhead using formal business formatting.
 

Issuers of employment verification need to be very careful in responding to such requests because of the liability risks associated with certain information disclosures.


 

How to Properly Request an Employment Verification Letter

 

Next, we’ll discuss important tips for properly requesting an employment verification letter. 
 

Whether you are a current or past employee or a third party, there are critical best practices to follow to ensure compliance with company policies and handling sensitive information. 

Request from the Employee

When an employee requests an employment verification letter, handling the process professionally is essential. 
 

If the company has an HR department, that’s where the request should be directed. If you are a current employee, check with your HR department about the process. 
 

Often, they will prepare the letter or provide you with a form or template for your manager to use. If you don’t have an HR department, speak with your manager about the request. 
 

If they don’t have a template or form, you might offer to prepare one for them to minimize the burden of preparing the letter. This will also help ensure the information you want the letter to contain is included. 
 

Be mindful that your manager may not be permitted to include some things in the letter for liability reasons. 
 

For example, don’t ask them to state that you were the best employee ever or that your salary should be doubled. Keep your request reasonable and professional.

Request from A Prospective Employer or Other Third Party

If you are making a request to verify a person’s employment for credit or other non-employment reasons, keep the request brief and professional. 
 

Typically, all that should be requested is a name, title, salary, and dates of employment.

Request from a Prospective New Employer

If you seek to verify the employment of someone you are considering hiring, you may want to go further with your request.


Verification of past employment is an essential part of applicant screening, and many prospective employers prefer to verify employment letters rather than over the phone. 
 

Confirming that prospective employees have provided you with accurate information is important. Many people inflate their backgrounds and salaries when seeking new employment. 
 

While there are other sources of employee references, like reference letters they supply or include on their LinkedIn profiles, relying on these alone has risks. 
 

Reference letters can be faked, and applicants can falsify LinkedIn references by having friends create them or even making up fake profiles to create them themselves. 


 

Providing an Employment Verification Letter


There is nothing wrong with verifying that the information an applicant has provided you is truthful. 
 

It is acceptable to ask about performance, reasons for leaving, regular working hours, skills you are concerned the prospective employee may have exaggerated, etc., to see if anything was misrepresented. 
 

Not all former employers will answer all the questions on your form, but it cannot hurt to have them there. 
 

However, be careful not to stray into impermissible inquiries, like questions about the employee’s health status. 
 

It is best practice to prepare a standard form you will use for all employment verification requests and then have a lawyer review it to ensure there are no red flags.
 

Include dates of employment in your verification request. False dates of employment are a red flag that may point to an issue your applicant is trying to hide. 

 

Request the specific hire and departure dates from former employers and compare them to the applicant’s submission.
 

Employment verification letters should be written professionally and with care, like any other formal business correspondence.

Manager Writing the Letter

If you are asked for a verification letter from a current employee, remember that they may have important issues on the line. For example, a mortgage, a loan for a child’s college, or a new apartment. 
 

This may be a chore for you, but it is important and probably stressful for the employee and needs to be taken seriously.
 

The issues are equally serious if you are writing a verification letter for a departing or former employee. 


You do not want to include anything in the letter that could become evidence in a court case. This could be from the employee for wrongful dismissal or damaging their future employment prospects or from a new employer who claims you “oversold” the applicant.
 

If your company has an HR department, check with them on the process for verification letters. 

 

They may want to prepare the letter directly from the HR department, have a form they want you to use, or review your final letter before it is provided to whoever made the request.

Tips for Managers Writing the Employment Verification Letter

If you write the verification letter yourself, make sure it is as professional as any other business correspondence you might issue. 
 

This may be the first time you are being asked for this type of letter, and you may wonder what a letter of employment includes. 
 

Here are some fundamental tips:

 

  • If the request relates to a current employee and they have not mentioned it to you, check with them first to ensure they authorize the disclosure

  • If the request relates to a former employee, check with HR or your exit file to ensure there is a release of information on file. If not, check with HR or your attorney about how much information, if any, you should release. 

  • If the request includes the employee’s signature, check it against their signature in your files.

  • Use official letterhead or business letter format

  • Type the letter; do not supply a handwritten note

  • Include your contact information

  • Include the recipient’s contact information if you have it

  • Include a formal business salutation

  • Keep the letter brief

  • Do not include information over and above what the request asked for

  • Include a final sentence indicating that you are available if the recipient has any further questions

  • Review the letter for errors or typos before signing

  • Include a handwritten signature

 

Next, see our guide on how to write a layoff letter.

Employee Writing the Letter

If you are writing an employment verification letter to be signed by your manager or HR department, follow these guidelines.
 

Tips for Employees Writing the Employment Verification Letter

 

  • Check first to be sure they are okay with you writing the letter. If they prefer that HR or the manager draft the letter, don’t insist on writing it yourself. Many companies have policies on this issue

  • Use company letterhead if you are a current employee of the company verifying employment

  • Include full contact information for the manager who will sign the letter

  • Write in the first person as though you were the person signing the letter

  • Keep the tone professional

  • Don’t exaggerate your income or duties

 

If you are a former employee seeking a verification letter, the former employer will likely want to prepare the letter rather than having you write it. If you are asked to draft a letter on behalf of a former employer, follow the guidelines above. 
 

However, you should provide your draft to the former employer on plain white paper, ask them to transfer it to company letterhead, and include appropriate contact information.

How Long is an Employment Verification Letter Good For?

There is no specific validity period, but it is best practice for EVLs to be as recent as possible. Ideally, they should be no older than 30 days but up to 60.

 

Sample Employment Verification Letter Templates 

EMPLOYMENT VERIFICATION LETTER

(Date)

 

To Whom It May Concern:

 

This letter is to verify that __________ has worked for our company since __________.

 

They are presently a __________ in our __________ department. Their current salary is __________ a year with generous __________ benefits.

 

If you have any questions regarding their employment situation, please feel free to contact us at the number listed below.

 

Sincerely,

(Employer Name)

(Phone Number)

(Email Address)

 

 

NOTARY:

State of __________

Country of __________

 

Subscribed and sworn to before me on this __________ day of __________ in the year 2__________ by __________.

 

(Name of document signer)

 

____________________

Notary Public

 

Type or Printed Name ____________________

 

My Commission Expires ____________________

 

Legal Considerations and What to Avoid in Employment Verification Letters

 

Now that you know the answer to the question ‘What is an employment letter?’, you must also know what should not be included. 
 

Several impermissible disclosures should not be included in any verification letter. 
 

What Not To Include On An Employment Verification Letter

To avoid any potential issues with state or federal fair employment and privacy laws, steer clear of mentioning: 

 

  • Race

  • Religion

  • Ethnicity

  • Sexual orientation

  • Disability

  • Health status
     

Gender usually will come up in the letter through the use of the proper name of the person the letter is about, as well as pronouns. Beyond that, it should not be commented on.
 

Avoid over-disclosing information you may have about the employee’s personal life, such as any future plans to have a family or obligations related to their kids. 
 

In general, stick to the facts and to what was specifically requested. Have HR or a lawyer review any disclosures you are unsure about before you make them.

 

Conclusion: Streamlining the Employment Verification Process

 

If you require an employment verification letter, our free template will help make the process quick and easy. 
 

While we always recommend speaking with an attorney if you have any questions about the verification letter process or what is included in the letter, our template provides a helpful starting point.
 

If you need help with a verification letter, use our template or post a job on UpCounsel’s marketplace. 
 

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