An Employment Verification Letter, or a letter of employment or proof of income, is a professional letter used to verify a previous or current employee’s income, employment history, and job responsibilities.
Landlords and others renting real estate often use verification of employment letters to ensure potential tenants have a job and the income to afford rent payments.
What is an Employment Verification Letter?
Verification of employment letters are documents provided by current and former employers of potential tenants, people seeking new jobs, and others who need to prove where they work or worked – and sometimes the amount of money they make.
A current or former employee may request employment verification to certify their salary and employment history for a new or prospective employer.
An employment verification form is also a common third-party prerequisite to verify that an individual has the income to make monthly payments for a significant expenditure — whether for a rental application, mortgage, or loan.
For your reference, an employment verification letter is also called a:
- Proof of Employment Letter
- Income Verification Letter
- Employment Confirmation Letter
- Salary Verification Letter
- Work Verification Letter
Verifying parties typically submit this document in business letter format with their name, job title and contact information, current date, and income or employment verification.
Who Needs a Letter of Employment?
A landlord may require an employment letter for renting an apartment if the rent exceeds a certain amount.
Additionally, most financial institutions and lenders require employment verification for mortgage applications. Furthermore, a new employer may request employment verification to ensure the employee has been truthful about a previous salary and position.
You may also need to request an employment verification letter from a previous or current employer if you apply for a job at one of the many state and federal government agencies.
Many people, businesses, and organizations want to know about your past work experience, salary details, and employment status before they enter into a relationship with you.
Remember that some companies and organizations require a signed release or authorization form before disclosing information about a current or former employee.
Employment Verification Letter Examples
Employment Verification Letter Example (with Salary)
The employment verification sample below confirms the employment of Jessica Holland at ABC Inc.
To corroborate the salary information provided, the Director of Operations, William Savage, indicates that Jessica’s pay stubs and tax returns information are attached to the letter.
In addition, Mr. Savage provides his contact information if Resume Center (the requesting party) requires additional proof of employment.
Employment Letter Sample
The proof of employment letter sample below offers the employment and income verification of Matthew Simpson, previously employed as General Counsel for Company Inc.
The letter is addressed directly to the third party who requested the employment verification for Mr. Simpson — Welcome Inc.
In addition to the attached wage and tax statement (W-2) and pay stubs, Company Inc. has included an acknowledgment of a notary public to authenticate Mr. Simpson’s employment verification.
Proof of Income Letter From Employer Template
The verification of employment and income example below provides salary verification (both annual and bonuses) for Wilfred Lawrence.
The verifying party is Charles Lang, Human Resources Manager at Forest Inc. Mr. Lang is providing Mr. Lawrence’s W-2 and a letter from Workers’ compensation as supporting documents of income verification.
Letter of Employment Template
The basic proof of employment letter template below offers wage verification for Lester Jenkins’ eight years of employment at ABC 123 Inc.
The verifier, Larry Philips, does not know the contact details of the third party requesting this information and therefore uses “To Whom It May Concern” to address this verification of employment.
There are no salary verification documents. Therefore, the requesting party will have to contact Mr. Philips directly if they want supporting documentation to confirm the letter’s contents.
What is on an Employment Verification Form?
An employment verification letter is an essential document that employers (business owners and managers, CEOs, and human resource department representatives) should create and write with formality.
Below the company letterhead, the writer should include relevant contact and company information such as:
- Verifier’s name
- Company name
- Address
- City, state, and ZIP code
If you are an employer tasked with writing an employment verification letter and have the name and address of the third party reviewing the document, you can address the letter to their attention.
The body of the salary verification letter depends on the requesting party’s requirements. For example, a landlord may only need to verify a potential tenant’s current income, whereas a new employer may require additional employment history and salary details.
If you don’t know the requesting party’s requirements, a standard verification of employment form generally includes the following information:
- Employment start date
- Employee name
- Job title
- Salary
- Annual bonus amount (if applicable)
- Employment end date (if applicable)
The final paragraph of an employment confirmation letter should include the contact details of the individual responsible for verifying the employee’s information.
Conclude the work verification letter with your signature, full name, and job title.
How to Verify a Proof of Employment Letter
Obtaining a proof of income letter is often the last step a bank takes before approving a loan. Additionally, it is commonly the final step a landlord takes before handing over the keys to a tenant.
Companies sending offer letters to candidates typically request proof of income as the last step.
To protect against false claims, third parties often require employees to substantiate their employment verification letter with at least two proof of income documents.
The following documents are common pieces of proof of income produced in addition to an employment verification letter:
- Paystubs
- Tax returns (1040)
- Wage and tax statements (W-2)
- Social security proof of income / Benefits Verification Letter
- A Workers’ compensation letter
- Bank statements
Obtaining a proof of employment letter is often the bank’s last step before approving a loan. Additionally, it is commonly the final step a landlord takes before handing over the keys to a tenant.
Companies sending offer letters to candidates typically request employment verification as the last step.
To protect against false claims, third parties often require applicants or employees to substantiate their income with at least two proof of income documents.
The following documents are standard pieces of verification produced in addition to an employment confirmation letter:
- Paystubs
- Tax returns (Form 1040)
- Wage and tax statements (W-2)
- Social security verification / Benefits Verification Letter
- A Workers’ compensation letter
- Bank statements
Note that anyone requesting verification of employment letter should allow the verifier at least two business days to complete the request.
Proof of Income for Self-Employed Individuals
No one can provide employment verification except yourself if you work for yourself.
So, can you write a verification letter for self-employment on your behalf?
The answer is “yes.” Write a verification letter and use the following accepted documentation to prove your income:
- IRS Form 1099 Miscellaneous Income – used by freelancers and independent contractors to record any job that paid $600 or more
- Tax returns
- Bank statements
How to Write an Employment Verification Letter
Follow the steps below to write an employment verification letter using a visual template. If you need to write this letter quickly or want an easy-to-follow guide for your letter, using our document builder to create the form is a great idea.
Step 1 – Fill in Employer Details
1. Employer Verifying Employment. Write the name (or company) of the employer verifying the employment. Also, provide the address.
Step 2 – Enter the Requesting Party Details
2. Party Requesting Employment. This is the party requesting employment verification, such as a bank or landlord. Provide the requester’s name and address. If the requester is unknown, leave this blank.
3. Contact Person. Write the name of the contact person for the party requesting verification. If the requester is unknown, use “To Whom it May Concern” to address the letter.
Step 3 – Fill in Verification Details
4. Name of Employed. Enter the name of the person the employer is verifying employment for.
5. Employment Details. This section provides employment details including company name, job title, employment start dated, and company address.
6. Salary and Bonus Information. This section provides the employee’s salary and bonus, if any. The employer can include supporting documents with this letter (keep in mind that there are state and local laws regarding salary disclosure and some require employee authorization).
Step 4 – Write Employer’s Information
7. Write Full Employer Details. This is the employer’s information – full name, title, phone number, and email address. The title, phone number, and email address are optional.
Step 5 – Get Notary Acknowledgement
8. Notary Public Acknowledgement. The section for notary public acknowledgment is optional.
Sample Employment Verification Letter Template (Word & PDF)
Here is what a typical employment verification letter template looks like. With our document builder, you can use these documents as a guide to write a letter or create a customized form in minutes.
