Letter to claim unpaid salary and full and final settlement

My employer has not paid my salary or full and final settlement after I left. What do I write to them?

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When a job ends and the pay does not arrive, the first step is a written letter that lists what is unpaid and gives a date. Section 17(2) of the Code on Wages, 2019 says the wages of an employee who has been removed, dismissed, retrenched or has resigned shall be paid within two working days of the removal, dismissal, retrenchment or resignation. The Code's wages provisions, section 17 among them, have been in force since 21 November 2025.

The letter below states your last working day, lists each amount you say is owed, quotes that rule, asks for a full and final settlement statement and sets a date to pay. It asks for payment and makes no claim about the result.

You choose how your employment ended, list your dues and set the number of days you give. You see the letter first and can download it as Word to edit or as PDF to send by post or email. Download is free against a mobile number.

What you get

Salary dues and full and final settlement letter, as a Word file to edit and a PDF to print

Example with made-up names

Demand for unpaid salary and full and final settlement

Date: 24 October 2026

From: Arjun Mehta, B-204, Lakeview Apartments, Pune, Maharashtra 411014.

Email: arjun.mehta@example.com

To: Orchid Retail Private Limited, Plot 22, Sector 5, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201301.

Subject: Unpaid salary and full and final settlement, Senior Accountant

Employee code: EMP-0412

Kind attention: The Head of Human Resources

Dear Sir or Madam,

I worked with Orchid Retail Private Limited as Senior Accountant. I resigned from service, and my last working day was 9 October 2026. The amounts below remain unpaid to me.

No.	Amount due for	Amount
1	Salary for 1 to 9 October 2026	₹28,500
2	Salary for September 2026	₹95,000
3	Leave encashment as per the leave policy	₹19,000

Section 17(2) of the Code on Wages, 2019 provides that the wages of an employee who has been removed, dismissed, retrenched or has resigned shall be paid within two working days of the resignation. I ask you to pay the wages and the other amounts above in full by 31 October 2026.

Please also send me a written full and final settlement statement that shows each amount paid and each deduction made, with the reason for the deduction.

If you have already paid any of these amounts, please send me the date and the reference of the payment so that I can match it to my account. If you dispute any amount, please tell me in writing before 31 October 2026 and give your reason.

I would like to settle this with you directly. If the amounts remain unpaid after 31 October 2026, I may take further steps to recover them.

Yours sincerely,

Arjun Mehta

Senior Accountant (former)

Fill in your own

You, the former employee

Your full name *

Your address *

Your designation when you left *

Employee codeLeave it empty if you had none.

Your email addressLeave it empty if you do not want it printed on the letter.

The employer

Employer's business name *

Employer's address *

Person to address the letter toThe name or designation of the person, such as the HR head, a director or the owner. Leave it empty if you have no one in mind.

How your employment ended

How did your employment end? *

Your last working day *

What is unpaid

Amounts you are owed *

Amount 1

What it is for *

Amount *

The letter

Date on the letter *Today, or any day in the next seven days.

Days you give the employer to pay *A whole number from 1 to 30, counted from the date on the letter.

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BuildWright does documentation, filing and compliance facilitation. This tool works from the rules cited on this page and does not give legal advice. We prepare the documents from your answers; you check, sign and send or file them.

If this is where you are

I left my job and the employer has not paid my last salary, gratuity or other dues, and has not given my relieving letter.

Demand letter to a former employer for unpaid dues

A dated demand to HR with a copy to a director, a statement of dues and a sheet with the deadline and the rule for each item.

Demand for payment of my final dues
Statement of dues
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Common questions

How soon must an employer pay after I resign?

Section 17(2) of the Code on Wages, 2019 provides for payment within two working days of the resignation. The same period applies after removal, dismissal or retrenchment.

What goes into a full and final settlement?

It is the closing account between you and the employer. It normally shows the unpaid salary and any other amount due, and each deduction made. The letter asks the employer for a written statement of this kind.

Does this letter claim interest or a penalty?

No. It asks for the unpaid amounts and a settlement statement by a date you choose. It does not name any interest or penalty.

What should I keep with the letter?

Keep your offer or appointment letter, payslips, your resignation or termination letter, bank statements for the last months and proof that you sent this letter, such as a postal receipt or a sent email.

Source: Code on Wages, 2019, section 17(2): wages of an employee removed, dismissed, retrenched or who has resigned are paid within two working days of the removal, dismissal, retrenchment or resignation. Read 18 October 2026. Sections 1 to 41 of the Code, which include section 17, came into force on 21 November 2025 under S.O. 5322(E). The text was read on India Code, as on 21 November 2025.

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