Employment Documents (US)
At-will offer letter, pay stubs + W-2 (income proof), and verification letters / The Work Number for third-party verification.
Do it on the official site
Employer HR/payroll (offer, pay stubs, verification letter); The Work Number (theworknumber.com) if enrolled; DOL for wage questions
- Fees
Employer letters/pay stubs typically free; The Work Number is paid by the verifier (employee self-access free) [confirmed]
- Processing time
Verification letters 1–3 business days; The Work Number near-instant
- How long it lasts
No fixed expiry; verifiers want recent (pay stubs within 30–90 days)
What to know first
- An offer letter usually has an at-will disclaimer (not a fixed-term guarantee).
- Pay stubs aren't federally required (many states require them) but employers must keep accurate records (3+ yrs).
- The Work Number (Equifax) is the largest automated verification service.
- Verifiers usually want recent pay stubs (within 30–90 days).
How to do it
- 1Request a verification letter from HR (state who needs it + details).
- 2For automated verification, direct the verifier to The Work Number (account + salary key).
- 3Supply pay stubs (last 3 months) / W-2 / offer letter as needed.
What you need to bring
- Verification letter / recent pay stubs / W-2 / signed offer letter; identity for The Work Number
In person
Employer HR/payroll; The Work Number online; DOL Wage & Hour office; EEOC field office
Questions people ask
- Is an offer letter a job guarantee?
- Usually not — at-will.
- Are pay stubs federally required?
- No, but many states require them.
- How is employment verified?
- HR letter / pay stubs / W-2 / The Work Number.
Documents that travel with it
Sources
- dol.gov employment-verification; theworknumber.com; dol.gov whd/flsa (accessed 2026-06-26)