How To Write a Letter of Employment (With Samples and Tips)
People use letters of employment to verify their source of income when completing rental, career and loan applications. Often, human resource employees and management professionals write these letters, but sometimes an employee could also write their letter.
In this content, we discuss letters of employment, including their definition, and what information they include and provide steps, tips, a template and a sample to help you write your letter of employment.
What is a Letter of Employment?
A letter of employment, also referred to as an employment verification letter, is a document that confirms an individual’s working status.
Professionals may need to write these on behalf of their team members to offer financial information for third-party organizations, such as mortgage lenders and landlords.
People often need letters of employment when trying to rent or buy a home or in other situations requiring information about one’s employment history, such as career or college application processes.
Managers and human resource professionals are mostly responsible for writing these documents and doing so at the request of employees who need them.
What to Include in a Letter of Employment
Employment letters often include the following information:
Employer’s information: Letters of employment normally have the employer’s company name, address, and contact information.
Third-party information: These letters also contain the name of the organization requesting the document and the name of the contact person at the organization.
Employee information: Most information in an employment verification letter centres on the employee. This contains their name, dates of employment, etc.
How to Write a Letter of Employment
Consider adhering to these steps to learn how to write a letter of employment for another professional:
1. Follow a Business Letter Format
Use a business letter format to pen down the letter of employment. Begin by listing your company’s contact information, including its name and address.
Then include the date you’re writing the letter and the recipient’s contact details. If you know the recipient’s name, address the letter to them in your salutation. Otherwise, write a formal greeting like “To whom it may concern.”
2. State the Reason for Your Letter
Because employment letters need to be brief, start the body of the letter by stating why you’re writing it. This allows the recipient to understand your intentions and file them in their records accordingly.
3. Include Any Information the Employee Requests
The information you must add to an employment letter can depend on the employee’s intentions and the third party’s requirements.
Be sure to ask the professional what details they want you to put in the letter. Only include what they ask you to include in the letter. You may write these details in a list format or use a few sentences to share them.
4. Provide Contact Information
Providing your email address or mobile contact allows the third party to contact you to clarify the professional’s employment details. This ensures that you can share necessary information that may not be added to the letter.
Offering availability to discuss the professional’s employment is also useful when other employers want to know more about the professional’s work.
5. Proofread the Letter
Conclude your letter with a professional salutation and by signing your name. Once you complete your work, proofread the letter for accuracy in information and grammar.
It’s also helpful to reread the letter for the tone to make sure it’s professional and brief.
Tips for Writing a Letter of Employment
Consider these tips to assist you in writing a letter of employment:
1. Use the Company’s Official Letterhead
When writing the letter of employment, ensure you are using your company’s official letterhead format.
This often contains the company’s logo as well as its contact information. While not always required, this can make the document look more official.
2. Be Concise
Write the letter clearly and briefly. To do this, be sure only to include the necessary details. Try to keep the letter brief by only writing one or two paragraphs unless the third party demands information that expands the letter’s content.
When you have finished writing, reread your work to ensure it properly expresses the material.
3. Include a Handwritten Signature
Some third-party organizations may need you to sign your name at the bottom of the letter. To do this, print out the letter and sign your name under your printed credentials.
If you’re sending the letter by email, scan the document with your signature and store it as a computer file. Then, attach the file to an email with a brief explanation of what it is.
4. Consider Allowing the Employee to Read it
If it doesn’t conflict with your organization’s policy of employment verification letters, consider allowing the professional for whom you’re writing the document to read the letter. This can help ensure that you add all the information they need.
This can also be a helpful way to catch any grammatical errors. Some organizations have specific guidelines for writing these types of records, so consult your company’s rules before sharing the employment letter with anyone.
5. Send it Promptly
Letters of employment are usually part of a larger, time-sensitive application. Ask the professional who requests the letter for a deadline by which you need to conclude it.
This can ensure that you conclude the letter promptly. If your schedule permits, you might want to submit the letter before the deadline to ensure its timely arrival. If you’re mailing the letter, consider the shipping times to meet the deadline.