What is an experience letter?

An experience letter, also called an experience certificate or a work experience letter, is a document an employer gives an employee when they leave, confirming that the person worked at the company. It states the employee's name, the dates they worked, their last designation, and often a short line about their conduct. The employee uses it to prove their work history to a future employer. It is issued by the employer, printed on the company letterhead, and signed by the owner or an authorised person.

What should an experience letter contain?

An experience letter should carry the company name and letterhead, the date of issue, the employee's full name, their designation or the roles they held, the start and end dates of their employment, and a short statement about their conduct and performance. It usually ends with a good-wishes line and the signature of an authorised person. Keep it factual. Do not add salary figures unless the employee asks, and do not include anything negative, because the letter is meant to confirm their service, not to review it.

What is the difference between an experience letter and a relieving letter?

A relieving letter confirms that the employee has been formally released from their duties on a specific date, that they have served their notice, and that the company has no further claim on them. An experience letter confirms the fact and length of their employment and their role. The relieving letter is about the clean exit, the experience letter is about the work history. Many employers issue both together on the last day, and some combine them into a single document, but they answer different questions for the next employer.

Should an experience letter mention salary?

Usually no. A standard experience letter confirms the role and the dates worked, not the pay. Salary is private, and most future employers ask for a salary slip or a separate salary certificate if they need proof of earnings. Include a salary figure only if the employee specifically requests it for a purpose such as a visa or a background check. If you do add it, state the last drawn figure clearly and keep it factual, matching what your records and salary slips actually show.

Can I refuse to give an experience letter?

It is poor practice and it can hurt you. An experience letter simply confirms that the person worked for you, which is a fact, and withholding it can leave a former employee unable to prove their work history through no fault of their own. If there is a dispute, such as unreturned company property or a pending dues issue, settle that separately rather than holding the letter hostage. For a small business, issuing clean experience letters builds a reputation that helps you hire, so it is worth doing well.

Experience Letter Format: Sample for Employers (2026)

When an employee leaves on good terms, the last thing you owe them is a clean experience letter. It is a short document, but it matters a great deal to the person receiving it, because their next employer will often ask for it to confirm where they worked and for how long. For you as the employer, writing one is simple once you know the fixed format and what to leave out. This guide gives you a ready experience letter sample, walks through every detail it should carry, explains how it differs from a relieving letter, and covers what a small business should and should not put in.

What an experience letter proves

An experience letter, sometimes called an experience certificate, confirms three plain facts: that the person worked at your company, what role they held, and for what dates. That is its whole purpose. The employee uses it to prove their work history when they apply for their next job, and the hiring company treats it as evidence that the candidate's claimed experience is real. Because it is a factual record rather than a review, you keep it short and neutral. A well-written experience letter reflects well on your business too, since the next employer sees the standard of paperwork you keep.

The experience letter format, part by part

An experience letter follows a fixed layout. Here is the full structure from top to bottom, so you can build your own by filling in each part:

A sample experience letter you can copy

Here is a short worked example on your letterhead. Replace the bracketed details with your own and keep the wording factual:

Title: To Whom It May Concern.
Body: This is to certify that [Employee Name] was employed with [Company Name] as [Designation] from [Start Date] to [End Date].
Conduct: During this period, [he/she/they] was found to be sincere, hardworking and professional in [his/her/their] duties.
Closing: We wish [him/her/them] success in all future endeavours.
Signature: For [Company Name], [Owner Name], [Designation], [Date].

That is all a standard experience letter needs. Resist the urge to pad it. A short, clear letter on proper letterhead reads as more credible than a long one full of praise, and it is faster to check.

Get the free IndiaCRM app

IndiaCRM runs billing, khata, staff and HR records in one free app for iPhone and Android, with no per-user fees. Download the app or see HR and payroll.

What to leave out

Knowing what not to write is as important as knowing what to include. Keep these off a standard experience letter unless the employee asks:

Salary figures: pay is private and belongs in a salary certificate, not a general experience letter.
Reasons for leaving: the letter confirms service, it is not the place to record why they left.
Negative remarks: never put a complaint or a poor review in an experience letter. If there was a real problem, handle it separately, not in a document meant to confirm their work history.
Private details: leave out anything personal that the next employer does not need, such as health or family matters.

Experience letter versus relieving letter

These two are issued around the same time but answer different questions, so keep them apart in your mind. A relieving letter confirms that the employee was formally released on a certain date, that they served their notice, and that you have no further claim on them. It is about a clean exit. An experience letter confirms the fact and length of their employment and their role. It is about their work history. Many employers hand over both on the last working day. If you issue only one, make it the experience letter, because that is the document the next employer usually asks to see. If there is a dispute over dues or company property, resolve it separately rather than holding either letter back.

Handling special requests

Sometimes an employee needs more than the standard letter, usually for a visa, a loan, or a background check. In those cases they may ask you to add specific details, such as their last drawn salary or a confirmation of full-time employment. It is fine to add these when the request is genuine, as long as everything you write is true and matches your records. If they need proof of earnings specifically, a separate salary certificate is the right document rather than stuffing salary into the experience letter. When you add anything on request, keep a note of what you issued and why, so your records stay consistent if the next employer calls to verify.

Getting the dates exactly right

The single most checked detail on an experience letter is the employment period, because the next employer uses it to confirm the candidate's total experience. Get the start and end dates exactly right from your own records, not from memory or from what the employee tells you. A wrong date, even by a month, can cause the candidate trouble in a background check and reflects badly on your bookkeeping. This is far easier when your staff joining and exit dates are stored in one place from the day they joined. If you keep employee records in an app, the joining date from their appointment letter and their last working day are already on file, so the experience letter writes itself from facts you already hold.

Issue it promptly and keep a copy

A departing employee often needs the experience letter quickly for their next job, so do not make them chase it. Prepare it around their last working day, hand it over promptly, and keep a copy in your records. Storing a copy protects you too, because if the next employer or a bank ever calls to verify, you can confirm exactly what you issued. For a small business, being known as an employer who gives clean, prompt experience letters quietly helps your own hiring, since word travels and good candidates prefer a workplace that treats people fairly on the way out. Keeping staff records organised in one app makes this a two-minute job rather than a hunt through old files.

The bottom line

An experience letter is a short, factual confirmation of who worked for you, in what role, and for how long. Keep it neutral, get the dates exactly right, leave out salary and anything negative, and issue it promptly on proper letterhead. IndiaCRM keeps your employee records, joining dates and exit dates in one free app, so drafting a clean experience letter takes minutes and your files stay in order. See HR and payroll, read the salary certificate format, or get the mobile app and keep your staff paperwork in one place.