The short answer
Ask the screening provider what fact it needs to verify and whether it accepts an employer-authored employment verification letter. Then contact the current or former employer’s HR, payroll or designated verification service and ask how to request the record. A letter may help confirm dates or title, but a provider may require a different document or direct verification.
If you do not want your current employer contacted, check the screening form and ask the provider about its process before making a request. Do not assume that asking your employer for a letter will remain confidential.
What is an employment verification letter?
It is a record issued by an employer or its designated service to confirm details of an employment relationship. The facts included depend on the request and the employer’s records. For a background check, the provider might need employment dates, a job title or an employer name; another organization may ask for different information.
A letter is not automatically a substitute for the provider’s process. HireRight describes checking information with former employers or their agents and, in some situations, asking candidates for documents. Follow the actual provider’s instructions.
How to request a letter from HR
- Clarify the request. Ask the screening provider what information and format it needs, whether it accepts a letter, and whether the employer must send it directly.
- Find the employer’s current process. Check your employee or alumni portal, HR or payroll contact, or designated employment-verification service. Use an independently verified contact if the company has changed names or closed.
- Identify your record. Provide your name during employment, the relevant job and approximate dates, and a safe way to contact you. Ask whether the employer needs additional identifying information through its established process; do not include a Social Security number in an ordinary email.
- Specify the facts requested. Ask the employer to confirm the relevant title, dates or employment relationship from its records. Request income information only if the recipient requires it and you are comfortable with the authorized process.
- Review and send securely. Check the letter against your records. Ask HR to correct an error rather than editing the employer’s document yourself. Submit only through the verified route requested by the screening provider.
Example email to request employment verification
Adapt this request to your actual situation. It asks the employer to issue or arrange the record; it is not a letter for you to sign on the employer’s behalf.
Subject: Request for employment verification
Hello [HR or verification contact],
I worked for [employer] as [role, if known] during approximately [period]. A screening provider has asked me to confirm [specific facts]. Could you please let me know your process for obtaining a verification letter or providing verification directly to the provider?
The provider has requested [format or delivery method, if known]. Please let me know what identifying information you need and the secure way to provide it.
Thank you, [Your name]
What if the former employer will not provide a letter?
Ask whether a designated service can verify the employment directly, and tell the screening provider what happened. Ask which alternatives it accepts. Depending on the request, a provider may consider a pay statement, W-2 or another record, but no document is universally accepted. Read what to do when a previous employer will not verify employment and why pay stubs or W-2s may be requested.
If the business closed or changed names, do not guess that a similarly named business is its successor. Look for records of the original entity and ask the provider how to submit evidence of the relationship.
What if the dates or title in the letter are wrong?
Compare the same employment relationship and event: an assignment end date can differ from an employment end date, and a project role can differ from an HR title. If the employer’s record is actually incorrect, ask its records office to review it. If the background report is inaccurate or incomplete, the FTC explains how to dispute the item with the reporting company. Use the date and title discrepancy guide to organize the comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Can I write my own employment verification letter?
You can write a request or explain your own work history, but do not present a self-written document as an employer-issued verification. Ask the provider what evidence it accepts.
Does a letter need to include salary?
That depends on the recipient’s purpose and requirements. Ask what is needed for your background check before requesting or sharing income information.
Is a verification letter the same as a reference letter?
A verification letter confirms employment facts. A reference may discuss performance or qualifications. Ask what the recipient actually requested; one does not automatically replace the other.
Can I get a letter for a past job?
You can ask the former employer or its designated service. Whether it issues a letter, and what information it confirms, depends on its records and process.
Your next step
Use the Background Check Prep Packet to organize the facts, questions and supporting records relevant to your situation.