Employment Offer Letter

Employment Offer Letter: Confirm a Job Offer Clearly and Professionally

An employment offer letter confirms in writing that you are offering a candidate a job, and sets out the main terms: the job title, who they report to, where they will work, pay, hours, start date, benefits, notice and any conditions such as references or right-to-work checks. Robot Lawyer drafts the letter from your answers, for the law of the country or state you choose, and on the Verified plan a qualified legal professional checks it within 24 hours before you send it.

CONTENTS

What Is an Employment Offer Letter?

An employment offer letter (also called a job offer letter) is the letter an employer sends to the person it has chosen for a role. It records what has been agreed at interview so both sides know where they stand before the employment starts.

A clear offer letter avoids misunderstandings about pay, hours or start dates, shows a professional approach to the candidate, and gives you a record of the conditions the offer depends on. It is usually followed by a full employment contract, and the letter says so.

When Should You Use One?

• Making a verbal offer formal
  Confirm the terms you discussed at interview in writing.
• Conditional offers
  Make the offer depend on references, checks, qualifications or the right to work.
• Full-time, part-time or fixed-term roles
  Set out the hours and how long the job is expected to last.
• Salaried or hourly pay
  Record the pay rate, how often it is paid and any bonus or commission.
• Senior or remote roles
  Confirm the place of work, reporting line and notice period.

What's Included in Your Offer Letter?

• The offer
  The job title, start date, who the candidate reports to and where they will work.
• Pay
  Salary or hourly rate, how often it is paid, and any bonus or commission you describe.
• Hours and holidays
  Working hours, employment type and paid holiday.
• Benefits
  Pension, health cover or other benefits you offer.
• Probation and notice
  Any probationary period and the notice each side must give.
• Conditions of the offer
  References, checks and right-to-work evidence the offer depends on.
• Acceptance
  How and by when the candidate accepts, with a signature section for the candidate and for the company.

What Your Document Looks Like

Your letter is set out on one or two pages: the company's details and the date, a "Private and confidential" heading, a short opening confirming the offer, a list of the main terms, the conditions of the offer, next steps, and an acceptance section for the candidate to sign. Here is an extract from a sample letter we generated:

Conditions of this offer

You must keep the company’s confidential information confidential during and after your employment. This does not prevent disclosures required or protected by law, including protected whistleblowing disclosures. The full confidentiality terms will be set out in your contract.

You will receive a written statement of employment particulars, which will be your contract of employment, before your start date. It will contain the full terms of your employment and will match the terms in this letter unless we both agree otherwise in writing.

How It Works on Robot Lawyer

1. Answer the questions
   Tell us about the role, pay, hours, benefits and conditions.
2. Generate your letter
   We draft a clear, professional offer letter from your answers.
3. Get it verified
   On the Verified plan, a qualified legal professional checks your letter within 24 hours and makes amendments where needed. The Essentials plan does not include this check. See how our documents are verified.
4. Send it to the candidate
   Download it, sign it and send it for the candidate to accept.

How It Works in Different Countries

• UK
  Employees must receive a written statement of the main terms of their employment on or before their first day, and employers must check the right to work before employment starts. Pay must meet the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage.
• United States
  Most employment is "at will" and the letter should not suggest a guaranteed length of employment. Employers complete Form I-9 checks, and some states, including California, restrict non-compete clauses.

These notes are general. Check the current rules where the candidate will work.

Employment Offer Letter FAQs

Is an offer letter a contract?

Once accepted, an offer letter can form part of the contract, so the terms in it should be accurate. Your letter says that a full employment contract will follow.

Can I withdraw a conditional offer?

If a condition, such as satisfactory references, is not met, you can usually withdraw the offer. Your letter lists the conditions so this is clear from the start.

Should the letter include the notice period?

Yes, if you know it. It helps both sides understand what happens if either wants to end the employment.

What if the candidate wants to negotiate?

Change the answers and generate an updated letter, so the version the candidate signs reflects what you agreed.

Can I use this letter outside the UK?

Yes. Your letter is drafted under the law of the country or state you choose. Our lawyers are qualified in England and Wales and, on the Verified plan, check documents for good practice, clear formatting and the law of England and Wales. They are not qualified in other countries' law, so if your letter is governed by another country's law, we recommend having a local lawyer check it too.

Create an Employment Offer Letter

Make your job offer clear, professional and complete. You can start with a 7-day free trial. See our pricing for the plans. Related documents: Contract of Employment, Letter of Appointment, Employment Reference Letter and Change of Employment Terms Letter.