58+ Sample Letters of Employment

What is a Letter of Employment?

Have you ever tried applying for a loan or lease? The lender or lessor usually asks for proof of your financial capacity. Whether you’re gainfully employed or not, they usually try and verify that information. Either they call your company or ask you to secure a letter of employment—which is a business document that verifies your income and employment history. It usually contains information such as: what position you have in the company, how much salary you make, and how long you’ve been an employee in the company. The lender or lessor verifies this information to make sure you have the means to pay for the mortgage or loan you’re applying for.

Why Do You Need a Letter of Employment?

Let’s say your head personnel is making you write a Letter of Employment, but you’re a newbie in the Human Resource Department. So, there’s a possibility the name is foreign to you and you don’t really have much of a background in drafting one. Your instincts would tell you that it would be best to educate yourself first. Before you can actually draft one, you need to know why a letter of employment exists. To help you in this endeavor, below are some instances where a Letter of Employment is commonly needed.

  1. Prospective Employment

    Applying for a new job usually entails gathering the necessary paperwork a prospective employer might require from you. One of these would be a Letter of Employment, which serves as proof of previous employment. With this document, a prospective employer can verify some information—job title, salary, and length of stay of an employee from his former company. By conducting this background check, the employer can determine a suitable salary proposal letter and job position for the upcoming employee.

  2. Mortgage or Loan Application

    When you apply for a loan or mortgage, lenders usually go through your financial history—whether you have a bad credit line or have other existing loans. They typically require a mortgagor or borrower to furnish a letter of employment to know if they have the means to pay for the mortgage or loan. Loan and mortgage applications are easily approved if you have a stable and good-paying job.

  3. Rental Application

    Rental property owners, the same with lending companies or banks, also ask prospective lessees for proof of employment. Before a lessor lets you sign a lease agreement, he does a thorough background check on you. One of the documentary requirements he’ll ask from you is a letter of employment, which is necessary to determine if you have the financial capacity to afford the monthly lease.

  4. Work Visa Application

    If you’re applying for a temporary worker’s visa, you’ll probably need to furnish the embassy with a letter of employment. There are different types of temporary worker’s visas, each having their own sets of documentary requirements. Typically, the prospective employer has to file a petition with the embassy on your behalf. But for H-1B1 visas, a letter of employment will suffice to verify employment. 

Things to Remember When Writing a Letter of Employment

A letter of employment can be a very important document for your employees. As an employer, you would want to help him out to the best you can. When writing the letter on his behalf, there are certain dos and don’ts that you should remember; refer to the below:

A letter of employment is a formal document: As a formal document, it should exude a sense of professionalism. It should be sample brief and concise. Only use words and information that are proper and respectful. And most importantly, it should be clean. You want the requesting party to receive it in pristine condition to give the impression that a person in authority made it.A letter of employment can significantly affect the lives of your employees: It can be a very important document that enables an employee to get through a personal transaction. Hence, when writing one for him, keep this in mind. You wouldn’t want him to lose that lease agreement, or not get the loan or mortgage he’s applying for.A letter of employment should contain true information: A letter of employment is also known as an employment verification letter. It is often used by the requesting party as a reference. It verifies the fact that the employee is working for a company and the fact that he is receiving enough salary that would make him eligible for the loan, mortgage or rental he’s applying for. Requesting a letter of employment is part of conducting a background check.A letter of information has a specific purpose: Specific purposes require specific information. It’s best to know the scope of the letter, what its purpose is. By understanding the purpose, you can write a responsive letter with relevant information that caters to the needs of the requesting party. For example, if the letter is for a lender or lessor, it’s contents should answer whether the employee has sufficient money to pay the loan or rent. It should not contain irrelevant information such as the employee’s roles and responsibilities in the company.Privacy laws can affect what information goes in a letter of employment: In some states, it is illegal to give out confidential information agreements. What confidential information is, depends on a case-to-case basis—it can be an employee’s gender or sexual orientation, his religion and other private information that should not be disclosed. Hence, check local or national privacy laws before creating a letter of employment to make sure you’re not violating any existing laws.

How to Request a Letter of Employment

Similar to a mortgage or loan application, getting a letter of employment also has a process of its own. In the usual course of business, it is your employer or someone from the Human Resources department that furnishes the Letter of Employment. To guide you in requesting an employment verification letter, here are some steps that you can follow.

Step 1: Inform your employer

Notifying your boss or HR personnel is the first action you should take. You can either call or knock on their office doors and personally request the letter. However, for a more formal approach, it would be best to send a written request through email; this can help your employer or human resource personnel remember to write the letter. Also, follow-ups are necessary to ensure that your boss or the HR department doesn’t forget about it.

Step 2: Provide the necessary information

Provide your employer or HR the necessary information such as; (1) the name of the recipient—prospective landlord in the case of a rental application, the bank for mortgage and loan applications, and the embassy for visa applications; (2) the requested delivery method—delivery can be thru personal handing of the letter, sending it via express or postal mail, or email; (3) the office address or email address of the recipient—place where your employer should ship or email the letter; and most importantly, (4) the purpose—provide your employer some context to help him understand why the letter is needed.

Step 3: Review the letter and check if it is signed and sealed

Ask your boss or HR personnel if you can review the contents of the letter. A letter of employment should have the following information: the company name or employer’s details, name of the requesting company or individual, name of the employee under verification, employee details—his job title or position, duration of his employment, and current salary—company seal, and employer’s signature. If any of the information mentioned earlier is missing, notify your employer and have the letter revised.

Step 4: Draft your own letter and have it signed

As shocking as it might sound, there is a possibility your boss or HR personnel have not come across letters of employment and might not know how to write one. Or maybe they don’t have the spare time due to the numerous workload they’re managing. In this case, you’ll have to write your own letter. Some things to remember when writing your own letter of employment is to (1) write it in the tone of your boss; in other words, it should sound professional and formal. It is a formal document, after all. (2) Only include facts. The letter should be brief and only contain the necessary information the requesting party is asking for. (3) Include the contact information of your boss, in the event, the requesting party has further questions. And Lastly, when writing your own Letter of Employment make sure that your boss reviews, signs, and seals it before sending it.

Step 5: Complete your business

Finally! Your mortgage, loan, rental, or visa application is a few days away from being completely processed and approved. Keep in mind that it takes about six (6) days at an average for a mail to arrive via post mailing. So be sure to notify your boss or HR a few days in advance from the day you need the letter. Also, it’s best to do follow up from time to time

Writing a Letter of Employment is easy. You only need the basics. But, to be able to write a well-crafted and relevant letter of employment, you need to dig deeper. Talk to the requesting employee. Figure out the urgency and importance of the letter. Write the letter with the thought of how it can affect the lives of the employee. You would not want him to be at a disadvantage and miss out on life opportunities—like being able to get their dream house or apartment or getting their first car. In addition, if you’re unsure of what information to include in the Letter of Employment, you can always call the requesting party; have them elaborate on what they want to know about your employee. If you’re having trouble with the formatting, maybe using a template that’s available online can help.  Scroll through our numerous template samples and find the perfect one you can use.