Quick answer: An experience letter is a signed statement from you confirming a former employee’s designation, dates of service and the work they did. For most office staff in India it is customary, not compulsory. The 2026 rules make an experience certificate a duty in two cases: contract labour on demand, and workers under standing orders.
- Under the OSH Central Rules, 2026, contract labour can demand a certificate of period, work and experience.
- The Model Standing Orders, 2026 give workers a service certificate within ten days of exit.
- No general statute requires an experience letter for managers or office staff.
- Future employers and background verification firms rely on it to confirm tenure.
When is an experience certificate mandatory in India?
In two situations. Everywhere else it rests on custom and your own policy.
| Who | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Contract labour | Certificate of period, work performed and experience gained, on demand | OSH Central Rules, 2026 |
| Workers covered by Model Standing Orders | Service certificate with nature of work, designation and period, within ten days | Model Standing Orders, 2026 |
| Managers and office staff | Customary only | No general statute |
EY’s alert on the final central rules records the contract labour duty.
Hence a factory or warehouse operator now has hard deadlines. A software team usually does not, though the market expectation is just as firm.
Suppose your Pune facility uses 60 housekeeping and security staff through a contractor. Each of them can ask for a certificate, and the 2026 rules put experience-certificate obligations on principal employers as well as contractors.
What should an experience letter contain?
Facts, not opinion. Four lines carry it:
- Full name and employee ID
- Designation, plus any promotions with dates
- Joining date and last working day
- A neutral description of responsibilities
Keep it factual.
A glowing line about performance can later contradict a documented performance case, and a hostile one invites a defamation complaint. So most Indian employers leave the reason for exit off unless the employee asks for it.
It differs from a relieving letter. The relieving letter confirms release from duty, while the experience letter describes the job. Many companies issue them together at the end of employee offboarding.
Why does it matter so much in India?
Because background verification leans on it. A verifier checking a candidate’s last three jobs will usually ask for each experience letter, then cross-check dates against the candidate’s UAN service history. A missing letter stalls the hire.
How does Remunance issue experience letters for your India team?
Remunance issues the experience letter on its own letterhead as legal employer, once the full and final settlement is paid. Offboarding is one of the services bundled into our EOR, so the letter, the PF exit and asset return run together. Our offboarding process guide maps the steps. To get exit paperwork right every time, ask our team how we close out an exit.
What else do people ask about experience letters?
Is an experience letter mandatory in India?
For contract labour on demand and for workers under the Model Standing Orders, yes. For most office staff it is customary rather than a legal duty.
Can an employer refuse to give an experience letter?
Outside the two statutory cases, an employer can decline, though refusing without cause harms its reputation. The Bombay High Court accepted a refusal in a 2026 training-bond dispute.
What is the difference between an experience letter and a service certificate?
Very little in practice. “Service certificate” is the term the Model Standing Orders use, and it carries the same core facts of role, work and dates.