How to issue relieving and experience letters

Relieving letter and experience letter: the difference

The relieving letter is about the exit. It confirms that the resignation was accepted, or the employment ended, and that the person was relieved from duties on a stated date. The experience letter is about the work. It confirms the dates of employment and the designation or designations held. Some companies combine both in one letter, but separate letters are clearer, because the next employer reads each for a different purpose.

What each letter should state

Keep both letters factual and brief. Every fact in them should match your records, because a background verification agency will check them against what the employee declared. Formats for both are in the HR letters library. Use the same template for everyone, so no letter reads warmer or colder than another.

• Relieving: name, employee code, designation, resignation date and last working day
• Relieving: that the employee is relieved from duties from the close of the last working day
• Relieving: that clearance is complete, or which items are pending
• Experience: name, employee code, date of joining and last working day
• Experience: designations held, with dates if the person was promoted
• Both: letterhead, date, reference number, authorized signatory and a verification contact

When to issue them

Issue both letters on the last working day when clearance is complete. If something is pending, issue them with the full and final settlement, which is due within two working days after the exit. In a worked example, Farhan's last working day is 31 March; his clearance is signed off on 29 March, so both letters are handed over on 31 March, and his settlement is paid within two working days of that date. Do not hold letters for weeks over a small open item.

Verification requests and tone

After the person leaves, background verification agencies and new employers will ask HR to confirm details. Route every request to HR, not to the former manager. Confirm only facts that appear in the letters and your records: dates, designation and whether the person is eligible for rehire, if your policy allows sharing that. Keep a record of each response. Avoid opinions and adjectives in both letters and verification replies; a factual record is fair to the person and safe for the company.

• Holding letters for weeks over a small dispute
• Dates or designations that differ from payroll records
• Performance comments in an experience letter
• Letters signed by someone without authority
• Verification answered by the former manager

Step by step

1. Confirm the last day and clearance status. Check the last working day and whether every clearance item is closed. In ZeniaHR, the offboarding exit checklist shows what is complete.
2. Prepare both letters from templates. Use standard formats from your letter library, filled in from the employee record rather than from memory.
3. Check every fact against records. Match joining date, last working day and designations with the employee record and salary revisions, especially for people promoted during their tenure.
4. Get them signed. Have the authorized signatory, such as the HR head, sign both letters on letterhead with a reference number.
5. Hand them over on time. Give the letters on the last working day, or with the final settlement if clearance was pending.
6. Keep copies on file. Store signed copies in the employee's documents in ZeniaHR, where files are kept securely and shared through time-limited download links.
7. Answer verification requests through HR. Look up the person in ZeniaHR's previous employees list, confirm only the facts on record, and log each request and reply.

Frequently asked questions