Asked to write a letter of service? Get one line wrong and a former employee's next job could stall
A letter of service is a short, signed statement from an employer confirming that a person worked there, in which role and between which dates. If a former employee has just asked you for one, the wording you send may be read by an employer, a licensing body or a visa office on the other side of the world. A vague or wrong letter can stall their next job, and a careless one can expose your business to questions you never meant to answer.
This guide is for business owners, managers and HR staff who are asked to write one. It shows you what to put in the letter, what to keep out, and gives you a sample you can adapt.
What is a letter of service in a company?
In most companies, a letter of service (also called a service letter, statement of service, certificate of service or employment certificate) is a factual record, not a recommendation. It answers three questions a stranger cannot check easily: did this person really work here, what was their job, and for how long?
The person who asks for it is usually leaving, changing careers or applying to work in another country. The person who reads it is often an employer, recruiter or assessor who has never heard of your business. That reader cannot ring the manager who left five years ago, so your letter has to stand on its own.
How it differs from a reference
A reference gives an opinion about how well someone worked. A letter of service only states facts from your records. If your business has a policy of not giving opinions about former staff, a letter of service is usually still something you can provide, because it says nothing about performance. Our earlier piece on the difference between a service letter and a reference letter explains it from the employee's side.
Who should issue it
The letter carries weight because of who signs it. In a large company that is normally HR or payroll. In a small business it is the owner or a director. A supervisor can sign one if they have the authority and access to the records, but a letter signed by a co-worker or a friend in another team is easy for a reader to doubt.
Whoever signs should be reachable. If the reader writes to the address on the letter in a year's time, someone should be able to confirm that the letter came from you.
What to include in a letter of service
Write it from your own records, never from the employee's CV. The usual contents are:
- Business letterhead: the registered business name, address, phone and a general email that will still work after the person who signed has moved on.
- Date of issue, written in full (3 November 2026, not 03/11/26) so readers in other countries cannot misread it.
- The employee's full name, spelled exactly as on their passport or ID, and any staff or payroll number if you use one.
- Each job title with its own dates. If they were promoted, list every role separately rather than only the last one.
- Start date and end date, or "currently employed" if they have not left yet.
- Type of employment: full-time, part-time, casual or fixed-term, and the usual weekly hours if your records show them.
- Main duties in four to six plain lines, if your policy allows it. Employers abroad and assessment bodies often need these to match a job to an occupation.
- Name, position and signature of the person issuing it, plus a company stamp where that is normal in your country.
Duties: be specific, stay factual
"Responsible for various tasks" helps nobody. Name the work: "installed and tested switchboards in commercial buildings", "prepared payroll for 40 staff each fortnight", "supervised a team of three kitchen hands". These are facts you can confirm from rosters, job cards or the position description, not judgements about how well the work was done.
What to leave out
A letter of service travels far and is copied often, so keep it narrow.
- Salary, unless the employee asks for it in writing and you are comfortable stating it. Many people send the letter to several employers and may not want pay shown to all of them.
- Reasons for leaving, disciplinary matters, health, leave or personal circumstances. These do not belong in a factual record.
- Opinions such as "an excellent worker" or "not suitable for rehire". If you want to give a view, offer a separate reference.
- Anything you cannot back with your records. If the person says they led a project you have no note of, leave it out rather than guess.
- Private details such as home address, date of birth or tax numbers, unless the reader has a clear need for them.
A sample letter of service
Example only: the business and person below are fictional. Adapt it to your own records and letterhead.
Northgate Electrical Services, 14 Harbour Road, Newcastle. Phone and email on letterhead.
3 November 2026
To whom it may concern
This letter confirms that Samuel Okafor was employed by Northgate Electrical Services on a full-time basis, usually 38 hours per week, in the following roles:
- Apprentice Electrician, 6 February 2017 to 31 January 2021
- Electrician, 1 February 2021 to 24 October 2026
As an Electrician, his main duties were installing, testing and fault-finding wiring, switchboards and lighting in commercial and residential buildings; reading drawings; completing test and compliance records; and supervising one apprentice on site.
This letter is issued at his request and confirms his employment details only.
Priya Nair, Operations Manager. Signature. Company stamp if used.
Notice what it does not say: nothing about why he left, how much he earned or whether he was good at the job. A reader who wants those answers can ask for a reference.
Common mistakes that cause problems later
Copying dates from the CV
The employee's CV may round dates to the year or count a trial period differently. If your letter repeats their dates and a later check finds a mismatch, the doubt falls on both of you. Use payroll start and end dates.
Only the last job title
Someone who started as a labourer and finished as a site supervisor needs both roles shown. One title across ten years can make it look as if their experience is shorter than it is.
A personal email address
A letter that gives a manager's personal email as the only contact is hard to confirm and easy to forge. Use a business address that will still be answered.
Refusing every request
Some businesses decline all requests to avoid risk. That can leave a former employee unable to prove years of real work, especially if they are moving abroad. A short factual letter usually carries little risk, as long as it sticks to your records. If you really cannot help, our guide on what a worker can do when HR only confirms dates of employment shows the other evidence they can gather.
When you are the one reading a letter of service
The same checklist works in reverse when a candidate hands you a letter from an employer you do not know. Check that the business exists, that the contact details on the letterhead match the business's own public details, that the titles and dates match the CV, and that the duties sound like the job. An odd date is a question to ask the candidate, not proof that the letter is fake. For warning signs worth a closer look, see how to spot a fake experience letter.
On Talent Tabloid, candidates can send documents such as service letters, contracts and pay slips for review by the team when they ask for a role on their profile to be verified. A verified role carries a badge on the candidate's profile, and the verifier's email and phone are never shown publicly. If a candidate gives you their profile name, you can look it up by name or username on the people search page, and if you hire often you can create an employer account.
Frequently asked questions
Is a letter of service the same as an experience letter?
Usually, yes. Service letter, experience letter, certificate of service and employment certificate are names for the same kind of factual document; the name depends on the country and the company.
Should a letter of service include salary?
Not by default. Include pay only when the employee asks for it in writing, for example because a particular employer or authority requires it.
Can a letter of service be negative?
It should not contain opinions at all, good or bad. It confirms the person's roles, dates, employment type and main duties from your records.
Who should sign a letter of service in a small business?
The owner, a director or the manager who keeps the employment records. Add their position and a business contact so a reader can confirm the letter later.
