Statement Of Service Template For Employers

Priya runs a small marketing agency in Melbourne. One of her account managers has just resigned, and a week later asks for a statement of service so they can apply for a new role. Priya wants to help, but she also remembers there were performance issues and a tense final conversation.

If you've been asked for a statement of service letter, it's normal to wonder how much detail to include. You want to be fair and professional, without accidentally saying something that creates a problem later.

The good news is that an employment statement of service is usually a simple factual document. The key is to keep it accurate, neutral and consistent with your employment records.

What Is A Statement Of Service?

A statement of service is a letter from your business confirming a current, former or departing employee's work history with you.

You might also hear it called a certificate of service, certificate of employment, employment statement of service, proof of employment letter or statement of service letter. In practice, these terms are often used to describe the same kind of document, although a Services Australia Employment Separation Certificate is a different form used for government income support purposes.

A standard statement of service usually confirms factual details such as:

• the employee's full name
• their position or positions
• their employment dates
• whether they worked full time, part time or casually
• their ordinary hours, where relevant
• a short description of their main duties
• your business name and contact details

It doesn't need to be a reference, a service agreement, or an explanation of every detail of the employment relationship.

Think of it as a factual confirmation of service, not a character assessment. That distinction matters because a glowing opinion, a negative comment or an unclear reason for leaving can create issues if the employee later challenges a dismissal, redundancy or final pay calculation.

Do Employers Have To Provide A Statement Of Service?

It depends on the situation, because Australian law doesn't give every employee one single standalone right to a statement of service in all circumstances.

That said, you should check the employee's award, enterprise agreement, employment contract and any workplace policy. Some instruments or contracts may require you to provide a certificate of service or similar document when employment ends.

Even where there isn't a strict obligation, many employers provide one as a matter of good practice. It's often a simple way to help a former employee move on, as long as the wording is accurate and neutral.

There are some related documents you shouldn't confuse with a statement of service:

• Pay slips: Under the Fair Work Act 2009, you need to give employees a pay slip within 1 working day of paying them.
• Employment records: Under the Fair Work Regulations 2009, you need to keep certain employee records for 7 years.
• Employment Separation Certificate: If a former employee requests an Employment Separation Certificate or end of employment statement for Centrelink purposes, you should complete the approved form as soon as practicable. If Services Australia issues a formal notice or request, comply with the timeframe stated in that notice.

A statement of service doesn't replace those obligations. It also doesn't need to include every payroll record you hold.

What Should A Statement Of Service Template Include?

A statement of service template should include only the details needed to confirm the employee's service with your business.

Start with your records rather than memory. Check the employment contract, payroll system, HR file, timesheets and termination letter before you prepare the letter. This helps you avoid small mistakes that can become frustrating later, such as using the wrong start date or job title.

A practical statement of service template for an Australian employer might cover:

• Your business details: legal business name, trading name if relevant, ABN or ACN, address and contact details.
• The employee's details: full legal name and, if helpful, their most recent position title.
• Employment dates: start date and end date, or the words currently employed if they're still working for you.
• Employment type: full time, part time, casual, fixed term or another accurate description.
• Hours of work: ordinary weekly hours, or a simple explanation if hours varied.
• Positions held: each role and the dates for those roles if they changed jobs internally.
• Main duties: a short, factual summary of the work performed.
• Sign off: name, title and physical or electronic signature of the authorised person issuing the letter.

For example, you might write that an employee worked as a cafe supervisor from 4 March 2022 to 18 October 2025, usually working 38 ordinary hours per week, with duties including rostering, opening and closing the store, supervising front of house staff and handling customer enquiries.

That tells the next reader what they need to know without turning the letter into a reference.

What Should You Leave Out Of A Statement Of Service Letter?

You should leave out opinions, disputed details and anything that isn't needed to confirm the person's work history.

This is where employers can accidentally create risk. A statement of service feels routine, so it's easy to add a sentence that sounds polite but causes problems later. If the wording isn't accurate, it may affect a dispute about dismissal, redundancy, performance management, underpayment, discrimination or workplace conduct.

As a general rule, avoid including:

• performance commentary: for example, don't say the employee was excellent, unreliable, difficult or underperforming unless you're deliberately giving a reference and you're comfortable backing it up.
• disciplinary history: warnings, investigations and complaints usually don't belong in a statement of service.
• medical or personal information: keep health information, family details and leave reasons out unless you have a clear lawful reason to include them.
• unnecessary reasons for leaving: resignation, redundancy or dismissal details can be sensitive and may be disputed.
• future looking promises: don't suggest the employee is eligible for rehire or guaranteed to be suitable for another role unless you mean it.
• settlement or dispute language: don't refer to without prejudice discussions, settlement offers or internal negotiations.

You should also be careful with privacy. The Privacy Act 1988 has an employee records exemption for many private sector employers, but it isn't a free pass for every use or disclosure of employee information. Keep the letter narrow and provide it to the employee or a person they have authorised.

How Do You Avoid Admissions About Redundancy Or Dismissal?

You avoid admissions by keeping the statement factual, consistent with your records and separate from any termination dispute.

This matters most where the employment ended in difficult circumstances. If the employee has raised concerns about unfair dismissal, general protections, redundancy pay or final wages, don't try to explain your position in the statement of service. A short factual letter is usually safer than a detailed narrative.

Worked Example

Say Mike runs a cleaning business in Brisbane. Jess worked for him as a part time site supervisor from 1 February 2021 to 30 June 2025. She usually worked 25 ordinary hours per week. Her role was made redundant after Mike lost a major commercial cleaning services contract.

Jess asks for a proof of employment letter template to support a job application. Mike is tempted to write that Jess was made redundant because the client cancelled, the business had no other shifts and all consultation steps were followed.

A cleaner approach would be:

Jess was employed by ABC Cleaning Pty Ltd as a part time Site Supervisor from 1 February 2021 to 30 June 2025. Her ordinary hours were 25 hours per week. Her duties included supervising cleaning staff, liaising with site contacts, checking cleaning standards and reporting stock requirements.

That confirms the work history. It doesn't make claims about whether the redundancy was genuine, whether consultation was adequate or whether final entitlements were calculated correctly.

If you need to deal with notice or redundancy separately, check the Fair Work Act 2009, any applicable modern award and the employment contract. For example, minimum notice under the National Employment Standards is generally 1 week for up to 1 year's service, 2 weeks for more than 1 and up to 3 years, 3 weeks for more than 3 and up to 5 years, and 4 weeks for more than 5 years, with an extra week if the employee is over 45 and has completed at least 2 years of service. Those rules don't need to be repeated in a statement of service.

Statement Of Service Template: What Should The Outline Look Like?

A statement of service template should be short, structured and easy to check against your records. You can use the wording below as a starting point and adapt the details to match the employee's actual service history.

Example statement of service

14 November 2026

ABC Marketing Pty Ltd
Trading as ABC Marketing
ABN: 12 345 678 901
Level 2, 100 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
03 9000 0000 | hello@abcmarketing.com.au

Statement of Service for Jordan Lee

To whom it may concern,

This letter confirms that Jordan Lee was employed by ABC Marketing Pty Ltd from 4 March 2022 to 18 October 2025.

During this period, Jordan Lee was employed as an Account Manager. Their employment type was full time. Their ordinary hours of work were 38 hours per week.

Jordan Lee's main duties included:

• managing client accounts and campaign timelines
• coordinating marketing deliverables with internal team members
• preparing client reports and responding to client enquiries

If the employee held more than one role, you can add a short sentence setting out each role and the relevant dates. For example: Jordan Lee was employed as Marketing Coordinator from 4 March 2022 to 30 June 2023, and Account Manager from 1 July 2023 to 18 October 2025.

Yours sincerely,

Priya Shah
Director
For and on behalf of ABC Marketing Pty Ltd

Before sending the statement, do a final check against payroll and HR records. If the employee's status is unclear, such as whether they were casual or part time, get advice before you lock that wording into a formal letter. Templates are useful, but the safest version is the one that matches your actual records.

What If The Employee Disagrees With The Statement?

If the employee disagrees with the statement, first check your records and respond calmly with any correction you're prepared to make.

Sometimes the disagreement is simple. The employee may remember their first rostered shift, while your payroll system records their formal start date as a different day. In that case, you can review the contract, onboarding records, timesheets and first pay slip, then decide whether the statement needs changing.

A sensible process is:

1. Acknowledge the request: Let the employee know you're checking the records.
2. Review the source documents: Look at the employment contract, payroll records, rosters, timesheets, role change letters and termination documents.
3. Separate facts from opinions: Correct objective mistakes, but don't get drawn into debating performance or the reason for exit in the statement.
4. Keep a written record: Save the request, the version issued and any updated version.
5. Use a fresh date if you reissue it: This avoids confusion about which version is current.

If the disagreement connects to a bigger issue, such as unpaid wages, classification, unfair dismissal, redundancy or discrimination concerns, pause before changing the letter. A small wording change can affect your broader position.

You should also make sure only authorised managers issue these letters. If different managers use different wording, your business can end up with inconsistent documents that are hard to explain later.

Key Takeaways

• A statement of service is usually a factual work history letter, not a reference or performance review.
• Check the employment contract, award, enterprise agreement and workplace policies before assuming whether you have to provide one.
• If a former employee needs an Employment Separation Certificate or Services Australia issues a notice, use the approved process and comply with the relevant timeframe.
• Include core details such as names, dates, role, employment type, ordinary hours, duties and authorised sign off.
• Leave out performance opinions, disciplinary history, personal information and disputed reasons for leaving.
• Keep copies and make sure your wording matches your payroll and HR records.

If you'd like help with preparing a statement of service, reviewing your employment documents, handling a tricky exit or setting up your HR processes, you can reach us at 1800 730 617 or team@sprintlaw.com.au for a free, no-obligations chat.