Complete Guide to Writing a Relieving Letter [+ Examples & Tips]

In our fast-paced and ever-changing professional world, the transition between jobs can be a highly stressful endeavor. Transitioning or resigning from a job, thankfully, does not always come from a negative experience in one place of employment. In fact, moving between jobs is seen as a great way to progress up the corporate ladder and leverage prior experiences into higher-paying jobs. That said, the bureaucratic systems in place mandate some form of physical communication exchange (i.e., emails and letters) between you and your employer to confirm your smooth and professional exit from your position. How is this done? Through resignation and relieving letters!

Are you thinking of the best way to go about your next career change? If you have made the decision to move on from your current job, or if you are an employer looking for the best way to write the most professional relieving letter, this article is the right one for you!

Relieving letters are often confused with a similar type of letter, letters of resignation. While both letters are used in the event of an employee wishing to depart from a company, the key difference between them lies in the sender of the letter. A resignation letter is a mode of physical communication from an employee to their employer indicating their desire to terminate their working relationship with their place of employment. Resignation letters are ALWAYS sent by an employee (check out our easy-to-follow guide on writing the most concise and professional resignation letter). 

On the other hand, relieving letters are ALWAYS sent by employers and are done in response to a received letter of resignation. Relieving letters are issued as an employer’s confirmation of an employee's resignation. They detail the terms of your job position and confirm that the termination of the working relationship between the employee and employer was done on mutual and friendly terms. Relieving letters are especially important as they are a testament to your professionalism as an employee and are sometimes even part of the required documentation for applying to another job.

Relieving letters can be extremely important in many cases. In this section, we outline the most common instances where a strong relieving letter can be exceedingly useful. 

Proof of Employment

A relieving letter can serve as formal proof of your employment history with a specific company, thus verifying your role. Relieving letters will always detail your tenure at your place of employment, and indicate your final working day. This helps maintain transparency between you and the company and can act as a guide for future employers to keep track of your employment record.

Credibility and Professionalism

A relieving letter is also important because a well-written one acknowledges and confirms that you left your previous job on good terms and completed your responsibilities. An amicable end to your tenure at your former place of employment vis-a-vis a relieving letter shows future employers that you are professional in your proceedings and have a good track record throughout your professional career. 

Background Checks

As part of the application and job selection process, many employers perform background checks on prospective candidates to ensure that they are of good moral standing and character, and to verify that their track record at previous places of employment are clean and without problems. Relieving letters can greatly expedite this process by cutting down the time it takes to get contact information or simply cross-check the key information that HR needs for administrative purposes. This makes you a much more attractive candidate as you come across as more prepared and organized when compared to the competition who did not have a relieving letter prepared.

Future Job Prospects

Relieving letters, while a courtesy or addition to many job applications, may be a base requirement for many others. The impact of a relieving letter on your future job prospects cannot be understated. Many employers and recruiters require a relieving letter as part of their hiring process as a way to confirm that your time at your last place of employment ended smoothly and without administrative or behavioral problems. Whatever the reason may be, a relieving letter will never hurt a future job application; in fact, it may mean the difference between landing and losing the job entirely!

Visa and Immigration Applications

If you intend on working abroad, many immigration and visa applications require some indication of employment termination in the country that you are planning on leaving. In this case, a relieving letter is almost always required, as it is the most concise way for your contract termination to be relayed.

As with any letter, a relieving letter has a structure that should be followed to ensure maximal professionalism. Your relieving letter format should have the following parts:

1. Date of issue

Indicate the date that the relieving letter was sent at the top left-hand corner of your relieving letter. The date format may vary depending on where you live; double-check the rules before sending the letter.

2. Employee information

Beneath the date, provide the information of the employee for whom you are writing the relieving letter such as name, ID, title, department, etc. This is to transparently indicate the recipient of the letter and to provide an extra level of authenticity. 

3. Company name

To keep a uniform standard, all communication from your company should include your company name on the letter. 

4. Subject line

In the subject line of the letter, indicate that you are writing a “relieving letter”. 

5. Greeting or salutation

As the relieving letter is a form of formal documentation, be sure to include a formal salutation. The most popular formal salutation is “Dear”. Avoid casual salutations at all costs; these include ones like “Hey”, “Hi”, and “What’s up”, to name a few.

6. Information about the employee's resignation

Begin the relieving letter with all the most vital information. State the date that the resignation letter of the employee was received and state, in clear terms, that the resignation notice was accepted. Follow this up by stating the last day of contractual work for the employee and provide a specific time or range within which the final compensation will be paid out to the employee.

7. Expression of gratitude

Maintain a high level of professionalism for your relieving letter by thanking the employee for their service. If you like, you can include a short sentence praising their most significant accomplishments and/or impacts that they have left at the office. This extra addition takes no time to write, but can greatly help the departing employee in their future job applications!

8. Signature

End the relieving letter with a closing remark and signature. The signature can be wet-inked or digitally signed. Underneath your signature, include your name in print and your position in the company. 

While exact relieving letter formats may vary, you should now have a general understanding of the key information that needs to be included. Now that we have covered the basic parts of a relieving letter, here are all the pieces put into action. The following is a brief relieving letter sample that depicts what one should look like. 

A Relieving Letter Example

The timing of the request for a relieving letter plays a crucial role, both for the employer and the employee. Pay attention to this section as we outline the temporal considerations that must be made when writing and/or submitting a request for a relieving letter. 

After Submitting Your Resignation

In the case of a voluntary resignation, it is generally a good idea to submit the request for a relieving letter as soon as your resignation has been accepted. As you may need a relieving letter as part of future job applications, it is better to have one prepared as you begin the job hunt once more!

Before Your Last Working Day

When resigning and moving on to another job, it is always best to depart from your position gracefully and professionally. Maintain your professionalism by giving your employer due notice for your relieving letter. As with every facet of business, swift and early communication almost always ensures a smoother process and a friendlier response. For more tips on how to gracefully depart from your current place of employment, check out another one of our great articles!

In Case of Layoff or Termination

In the event that you have been laid off or have been terminated from your place of employment, it is crucial to submit a request for a relieving letter as soon as you can. You have been thrust into the job hunt once more, and you will need all the necessary documents for job applications as soon as possible. Relieving letters, while typically short, can take some time to process, so make sure you file your request as soon as you receive notice that your days at your job are numbered. 

Avoiding Last-Minute Rush

It is generally not courteous or professional to submit a request for documentation late and then pester your employer to expedite the process for your sake. Avoid the consequences of any unforeseen hiccups or delays in the processing of your relieving letter by filing the request as soon as you can. This ensures that your employer has ample time to reflect on your time at their company, and to write you the best relieving letter they can!

Transitioning between jobs can be a scary and daunting task, which is why having all the necessary documents prepared is all the more important! Relieving letters, while lesser-known, can nevertheless be a game changer in the job hunt and job application process for many positions. Relieving letters are generally written by employers or by the Human Resources (HR) department of larger companies, and are a confirmation of an accepted resignation letter submitted by an employee. 

Are you seeking ways to level up your career and deepen your professionalism to adapt to the world’s ever-changing work culture? Look no further than CakeResume! Our curated libraries of articles and tools are designed with one purpose in mind: to help aspiring and seasoned professionals, like yourself, be the very best they can be! If you have any questions about career development, resume/CV writing, and the job hunt and application process, check us out today!

--- Originally written by Alexander Coye ---