Verification of Employment
As a service to University employees, the Payroll Office will provide verification of employment for a variety of needs. Under the privacy act, we are restricted to release dates of employment, job title, department, full- or part- time status and verification of a salary amount if given to us. If Payroll receives a signed release form from the employee, salary details will be provided. Only the Payroll Office can verify this information.
Please note – The University of Washington does not provide verification of address for employees, as well as work schedules or attendance, hours, timesheet information, job performance, and other personnel information.
Verifications handled by the Payroll Office
- Mortgage Verifications
- Phone Verification
- Letter of Verification
- Apartment Rentals
Verifications handled by other offices
- For verification of benefits related information such as retirement service credit, contact the UW Benefits Office at 206-543-2800.
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For verification letters concerning the tuition exemption program, contact the Professional & Organizational Development Office at the UW Registrar at (206)543-1957.
- For completion of insurance wage/loss forms, the employee's employing department should complete information on hours worked. If benefits eligibility is requested, email the Benefits Office at benefits@u.washington.edu to verify benefits eligibility
Types of Verification/Employee Procedure
Mortgage Verification:
When applying for a mortgage, the lender will request a verification of employment for an employee’s salary information accompanied by a signed release form from the employee authorizing release of information. This release must also include either a Social Security Number (SSN) or UW Employee Identification Number (EID) to confirm the identity of the employee being verified.
Phone Verification:
For third party phone verifications, we are only allowed to release dates of employment, job title, full- or part-time status, and verification of a salary amount (only answer “yes” or “no”) if given to us.
Letter of Verification:
Employees can request a letter of employment verification for a variety of reasons like adoption or immigration. The request can be made by filling out a request form at Payroll or sending it via fax or mail.
- Employees will need to provide name, signature, and SSN or EID.
- A request can be made over the phone, but the request form must still be provided to Payroll.
- When Payroll receives the request form, the letter will take 1-2 business days to process.
- Completed letters will be mailed to the address provided or the employee may pick it up from the Payroll Office with picture identification.
- If the employee is separated or out-of-state, the letter may be mailed via US Mail with some additional verification provided by the employee.
Please note – Due to privacy and security concerns, the Payroll Office cannot fax, email or send verification letters out in campus mail.
Apartment Rentals:
For rental applications, apartment management will use the UW Verification of Employment Request Form.
FAQs
Can the Payroll Office verify income for an employee?
Payroll can say either “yes” or “no” to a figure given, but without a signed release from the employee, we’re unable to give exact figures, or give their pay range.
If the employee is separated, can you tell me where they went?
Payroll only maintains fiscal information and is unable to disclose forwarding information.
Can the Payroll Office give out personal or work phone numbers so we can contact the individual?
We’re unable to provide that information, but the online UW Directory has a list of current employees and contact information.
Can the Payroll Office print out my earnings statements for a certain time period?
It is the responsibility of the employee to print out earnings statements on ESS. Pay stubs are on a rolling year cycle.
Can the Payroll Office provide a letter stating proof of my current address?
Payroll can only provide a letter verifying your employment with the University of Washington.
Can the Payroll Office provide an employee’s separation reason?
Since Payroll only maintains fiscal information, you can contact Human Resources at 206-543-2354.
How can I find out my hourly rate if I’m currently in a salaried position?
You can find your average hourly rate on the Compensation website.
Does the Payroll Office keep track of archived and current weekly hours?
Payroll doesn’t keep employee timesheets, so questions should be directed to their home department and the payroll coordinator in charge of their timesheets.