Employee Relieving Letter
The letter that confirms an employee has been relieved of their duties. It is the document their next employer will ask for, which is why it is worth issuing properly.
- The last working day and the notice served stated exactly
- Written so it also serves as the experience letter, if that is what you want
- Drafted by experienced lawyers on your letterhead
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What a relieving letter is
The employer’s confirmation, on the last day, that the employee has been relieved of their duties.
An employee relieving letter is given by an employer to an employee who has chosen to resign, after the resignation has been accepted and after the notice period is over, on the last day of the employment.
It is drafted on the company letterhead and signed and authorised by the employer. What it confirms is narrow: that the resignation was accepted, that the notice was served, and that the employee is relieved of their duties and responsibilities with effect from a stated date.
That narrowness is why it is not an experience letter. A relieving letter says the employment ended properly; an experience letter says what the employee did and for how long. Employers often issue one document covering both, and where that is what you want, the drafting has to say so deliberately.
- Given by
- The employer
- Given when
- The last working day
- Given after
- Notice is served
- And the resignation accepted
- Confirms
- The employee is relieved
- From a stated date
- Drafted on
- Company letterhead
- Signed by
- The employer only
- Not the same as
- An experience letter
- Which states the role and the tenure
Why employers have us draft it
- Drafted by experienced lawyers rather than adapted from a template
- The last working day, the notice served and the settlement stated properly
- Combined with an experience letter where that is what you issue
- A master version your HR team reuses for every exit
- Thousands of businesses served across every state in India
What the drafting covers
- A short call about how your exits actually run
- A relieving letter drafted from scratch on your letterhead
- The last working day, the notice period served and the settlement position
- An experience letter drafted alongside it, or merged into it, if you prefer
- A reusable master version for the HR team
Relieving letter or experience letter
What a relieving letter says
That the resignation was accepted, the notice was served and the employee is relieved of their duties from a stated date. It is about the ENDING.
What an experience letter says
The designation held, the dates between which it was held, and often a line about conduct. It is about the WORK.
Why the next employer wants both
The experience letter proves what the candidate did. The relieving letter proves they left cleanly and are not still serving a notice period somewhere.
One document can do both
Plenty of employers issue a single letter covering the ending and the tenure. It works, provided it is drafted to cover both rather than assumed to.
Why it is worth issuing properly
The next employer will ask for it
It is commonly required at the point of joining, as proof that the previous employment was ended properly and that no notice period is still outstanding.
It closes the notice period
The letter states the last working day. Without one, a dispute about whether the notice was fully served has no document to settle it.
It is the end of the file
Issued alongside the full and final settlement, it is the point at which the company’s obligations and the employee’s are both discharged.
Withholding one causes more trouble than it solves
It is the pressure point in most exit disputes, and an employer who withholds it over something the employee does not owe is usually the one who ends up explaining themselves.
Where the relieving letter sits
It is the last of the four documents an employment produces, and the only one written for the employee rather than for the company.
| Attribute | Relieving letter | Offer letter | Appointment letter | Employment contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where it falls in the hiring | ||||
| On the last dayAfter the resignation has been accepted and the notice period has been served, on the final day of the employment. | After selectionOnce the candidate has cleared every round and the employer has decided to hire them, but before anything has been accepted. | After acceptanceAfter the offer has been accepted. It is usually handed over on the first day of joining. | On joiningSigned on or around the joining date, with the rest of the HR formalities, before the employee is assigned any work. | |
| The employerOn the company letterhead, signed and authorised by the employer. | The employerUsually the HR function, on the letterhead. | The employerDrafted on the company letterhead and authorised by the HR manager or employer. | The employerPrepared by the employer and executed by both parties. | |
| The employer onlyIt is a confirmation issued to the employee rather than an agreement with them. | Both, to acceptThe candidate signs to accept. Until then it binds nobody, and either side may withdraw. | BothThe employee signs a copy and returns it to the employer, which is what records that the terms were received. | BothIt is a contract, so both parties execute it. | |
| What is in it | ||||
| That you have leftThat the resignation was accepted and the employee has been relieved of their duties and responsibilities. | The offerDesignation, remuneration, reporting manager, joining date, paid leave, and the documents to be produced on joining. | The appointmentThe position, the salary and benefits, the company policies that apply, and the other terms of the employment. | The full termsRoles and duties, remuneration, probation, confidentiality, intellectual property, non-compete and how either side may end the engagement. | |
| NoA confirmation of a fact. It creates no obligation on either side. | Not until acceptedThe company may withdraw it at any point before acceptance, on reasonable grounds, and the candidate may decline it. | Part of the termsIt records the terms of the employment and is relied on as evidence of them. For a smaller employer it is often the only written terms there are. | YesA legally binding agreement, enforceable in a court, and either party may seek a remedy for a breach of it. | |
| UsuallyCommonly asked for at the point of joining, as proof that the previous employment was ended properly and no notice period is outstanding. | RarelyIt is superseded by the appointment letter. | SometimesAsked for as proof of the designation and the terms held at the previous employer. | RarelyIt is usually confidential and is not normally shown to a subsequent employer, though its notice period governs when the employee may leave. | |
| Next step | Get started | Know more | Know more | Know more |
Swipe the table sideways, Relieving letter stays in view. Open any attribute to read the detail behind all 4 answers.
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What is the difference between a relieving letter and an experience letter?
A relieving letter confirms that the employment ended properly: the resignation was accepted, the notice was served, and the employee is relieved from a stated date.
An experience letter states what the employee did: the designation held and the period they held it for. The next employer generally asks for both, and many companies issue one letter covering both.
When should it be issued?
On the last day of the employment, after the resignation has been accepted and the notice period is over. Issuing it later leaves the employee unable to join their next role on time.
Can an employer refuse to give one?
Where the employee has not served their notice period, or has not returned company property or settled an outstanding advance, an employer will normally hold it back until that is resolved.
Withholding it for anything else is the commonest cause of an exit turning into a dispute, and the employer is usually the one who ends up explaining the decision.
Is one issued when the employee is terminated rather than resigning?
Usually yes. The wording changes, because the letter confirms the employment ended on a date rather than that a resignation was accepted, but the employee still needs the document for their next job.
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