The leasing office will hold the apartment on one condition: a letter from your employer. You email HR. Two days later a PDF arrives saying you work there and little else. The landlord answers within the hour. Where's the income?
Most employment verification letters stall like this. Writing one is quick. The days get lost when the request never said what the reader needs, and HR can't guess what a landlord, a lender or a visa lawyer wants to see. So tell them.
What goes in an employment verification letter
A pay stub shows money. It doesn't prove you still had the job last week, though, and there's nobody on it to call. The letter covers both. Ask HR for these, and if they push back, the right column is your answer.
| Put in the letter | Why the reader cares |
|---|---|
| Your name, spelled as on your application | A maiden name or a missing initial can start a round of questions |
| Job title and department | It should match the job you listed |
| Current or former, full or part time | A landlord mostly wants to know the paychecks will keep coming |
| Your first day, and your last if you've left | Lenders and screeners compare it with your application |
| Pay, only with your OK | Rent and loan decisions need it; background checks usually don't |
| Signer's name, title and direct contact | The reader may call to check the letter is real |
Green card petitions want a lot more. Under 8 CFR 204.5, employment-based petitions prove experience with letters from current or former employers, and each one has to give the writer's name, address and title plus a specific description of the work you did. "[Name] was an analyst here from 2019 to 2023" falls short. Ask for four or five real duties: the systems you ran, the reports you owned, the people you trained.
Who asks, and what each one is checking
The employee guide for ADP Employment Verification (it runs on The Work Number) lists the people who might ask. Bankers. Property managers. Car dealers. Caseworkers.
| Who's asking | What they're deciding | Ask HR for |
|---|---|---|
| Landlord | Can you pay rent every month | Status, title, pay |
| Mortgage lender | Does your income qualify | Start date, status, pay |
| Car dealer or bank | Can you carry the payment | Status and pay |
| Benefits caseworker | Do you qualify for the program | Whatever their form lists |
| Green card petition | Does your experience meet the rule | Detailed duties, plus the signer's name, address and title |
| New employer or screener | Does your history match your resume | Title and dates |
Buying a home means a second check, at least on loans sold to Fannie Mae. Its Selling Guide has the lender confirm your job again no more than 10 business days before the note date, which is usually closing day. That might be a phone call, an email or a lookup through a verification service. Give HR a heads-up the week before.
Your pay: when to include it and how to word it
Salary is the part HR is most careful with. Take the University of Puget Sound's employment verifications policy. If the employee hasn't signed the request, the school normally confirms employment, dates and title or duties, and stops there. With a signature it may add salary, why the person left and performance data. On the phone? It usually won't confirm salary unless the staff member knows who's calling.
So put your OK in writing, and say which number you mean:
- Salaried: your annual base salary.
- Hourly: the rate plus your usual hours. "$24 an hour" doesn't tell a landlord much. "$24 an hour, about 38 hours a week" works out to roughly $3,950 a month, and that's the figure they're after.
- Bonus or commission: only if they ask for total income. Put it on its own line so nobody reads it as base pay.
Background check that only confirms dates? Leave pay out.
How to ask HR for the letter, with a sample email
Check first whether there's already a process. Plenty of employers have a form in the HR portal, a payroll inbox or an outside service. Kansas State University's policy, for one, sends employment and income checks to The Work Number.
No process? Then email HR and cover four things: who the letter's for, when you need it, what it should say and how to send it. Give them a deadline a few days ahead of your real one. Things slip.
This one's for a rental. For a lender or a visa case, swap the first sentence and the details.
Subject: Employment letter for my apartment application (need it by [date])
Hi [first name],
I'm applying for an apartment at [building name] and the leasing office wants a letter from [company] confirming I work here. They need it by [date]. Could it list my title, my start date and that I'm full time? They asked about income too, so please include my current base salary. You have my OK for that.
"To whom it may concern" is fine. A signed PDF on letterhead would be easiest, since I just have to forward it. I've attached a draft in case it saves you a few minutes. Change whatever you need to.
Thanks, [Your name] [Employee ID or department]
Want a different version? Put the requester, deadline and details into the "What is the email about?" box of the AI email writer, pick Professional or Formal, then Short (60 to 90 words).
Employment verification letter template HR can edit and sign
Send HR a draft. It saves them time, and you get the wording your reader needs. It only counts once someone at the company signs it, so tell them to change anything they like.
[Company letterhead]
[Date]
To whom it may concern:
Going by our payroll records, [full name] started at [company's legal name] on [start date] and still works here. [First name] is a full-time [job title] in our [department] team, usually about [40] hours a week. [Current annual base salary: $[amount].]
[If they've left, use this instead: [Full name] worked at [company's legal name] from [start date] to [end date]. Their last title was [job title].]
Questions? Call me at [direct phone] or email [work email].
[Signature] [Signer's name], [signer's title] [Company name, street address, city, state, ZIP]
Check your name, the start date and any pay figure before you forward it.
When your employer uses The Work Number
Some employers hand every request to The Work Number, which Equifax Workforce Solutions runs. The CFPB lists it as a consumer reporting company. It collects job and income data from employers and payroll processors, then shares it with employers, lenders and agencies that check who qualifies for public aid.
Why should you care? Because that status gets you two things for free:
- Your own report. Companies that owe a free yearly report have to send it within 15 days of your request, the CFPB says, and its listing gives 866-604-6570 and 866-222-5880 for this one. According to the employee guide, the report shows your personal information and who asked for it.
- A dispute. If something's wrong, they have to look into it at no charge, and whoever supplied the bad data has to correct it.
Pull your report before you apply for anything. Fixing a wrong start date is a lot easier when there's no lender waiting on it.
If your employer closed or won't answer
Companies fold. HR goes quiet. You can still prove the job:
- An IRS Wage and Income Transcript, which shows what was reported for you on forms like the W-2 and 1099. The IRS says it covers this tax year and the nine before it, though some forms may be missing.
- Your own paperwork: offer letter, pay stubs, W-2s, the final pay statement.
- A signed note from a former manager saying they supervised you. Call it a personal statement, not official verification.
Ask the requester which of these they'll take before you chase all three. Green card case? The rule quoted above says other proof of experience gets considered when employer letters aren't available.
Verification, reference or offer letter?
Three letters, easy to confuse. A verification letter sticks to facts from company files. A reference is someone's opinion of your work (our guide on asking for a reference by email covers that one). An offer letter sets the terms of a job you haven't started yet.
Between jobs? Ask the requester whether a signed offer letter will do. Weighing two offers? Try the job offer comparison calculator or our guide to pay beyond base salary.
FAQ
Does an employment verification letter include my salary?
Only if you say yes and the reader needs it. Puget Sound's policy, for example, lists salary among the things it may release once the employee has signed the request. Say which number you mean: base salary, or an hourly rate plus usual hours.
Can I write my own employment verification letter?
You can write the draft. Your employer still has to review and sign it, because a letter you sign yourself doesn't verify anything. Attach the template above to your request.
How long does it take to get one?
Depends on the company. Ask when you send the request, and give a deadline a few days early. If you're buying a home, expect the lender to check your job again within 10 business days of the note date.
What if my employer only uses The Work Number?
Send the requester there, or ask HR if they'll write a letter as well. Check your own report first, so any errors get fixed before a lender sees them.