Offer of employment: [Role title] at [Company]
Not legal advice. Employment law differs by country and state, and some terms here may be required, limited or unenforceable where you hire. Have a local employment lawyer review it before you send it. Replace everything in [brackets] and delete what does not apply.
01Letter details
Use the company's legal name, not its brand. Mark the letter private: it contains pay.
- Date: [Date]
- To: [Candidate's full name], [email or postal address]
- From: [Company legal name], [registered address]
- Subject: Offer of employment as [Role title], private and confidential
02The offer
Two short paragraphs. Say plainly what is being offered and what else will apply if they accept.
Dear [First name],
We are pleased to offer you the position of [Role title] at [Company legal name] (the "Company"). This letter sets out the main terms of the offer. [If a full employment agreement or handbook will apply as well, name it here.]
03Role and reporting
Enough to identify the job. Attach the job description rather than repeating it.
- Title: [Role title]
- Reports to: [Manager's name and title]
- Employment type: [Full-time / Part-time, [n] hours per week / Fixed term until [date]]
- Duties: [One sentence, or "as described in the attached job description"]
04Start date, place of work and hours
If the role is remote, say where from: tax, payroll and employment law follow the place the person works.
- Start date: [Date]
- Place of work: [Office address / Remote within [country or time zones] / Hybrid, [n] days a week at [office]]
- Working hours: [[n] hours a week, [days], and any core hours]
05Pay
State the exact figure, currency and basis. Never write a range in an offer.
- Base salary: [Amount] [currency] per [year / month], paid [monthly / twice a month] in arrears, less taxes and deductions required by law
- Pay review: [When pay is reviewed, for example once a year. A review is not a promise of an increase.]
- Bonus or commission: [How it is earned and decided, or delete this line]
- Overtime: [Whether the role is eligible, as local law requires]
06Equity
Only if equity is offered; otherwise delete this section. The grant must be approved by your board and is governed by your plan documents, not by this letter.
- Grant: [Number] [stock options / restricted shares / RSUs] in [legal entity], subject to approval by the board
- Vesting: [For example, over [n] years with a [n]-month cliff]
- Exercise price: [Set by the board on the date of grant, or delete for shares]
- Governing documents: The [equity plan] and your grant agreement set the full terms. If they differ from this letter, they apply.
07Leave and benefits
List only the benefits that exist today. Leave must meet the legal minimum where the person works.
- Annual leave: [n] working days a year, plus public holidays observed in [place of work], pro rata in your first year
- Sick leave: [As set out in the leave policy / as required by law]
- Benefits: [Health insurance, pension, equipment, allowances, or delete this line]
08Probation and notice
Many countries set minimum notice periods and limit probation length. Check before you fill these in.
- Probation: [n] months, during which either side may end the employment with [n] [days / weeks] notice. [Or delete.]
- Notice: After probation, either side may end the employment with [n] [weeks / months] written notice
- Employment at will: [US only, where at-will employment applies: "Your employment is at will, which means you or the Company may end it at any time, with or without cause or notice." Delete everywhere else.]
09Conditions of this offer
Anything that must happen before the offer becomes final. Only list checks that are lawful where you hire and that you will actually carry out.
- [Proof of your right to work in [country] before your start date]
- [Satisfactory references from [number] previous employers]
- [Signing the Company's confidentiality and intellectual property agreement]
- [Any other condition, or delete this line]
10Confidentiality and intellectual property
Usually a separate agreement. Name it here so the candidate knows it is coming.
You will keep the Company's non-public information confidential during and after your employment. Work you create in the course of your employment belongs to the Company. The full terms are in the [confidentiality and IP assignment agreement], which you will sign before your start date.
11How to accept
A deadline keeps the offer from staying open indefinitely. Give enough time to read it and ask questions.
This offer is open until [date]. To accept, sign below and return it by that date. [Or: sign it through the e-signature link we have sent you.]
This letter, together with [the documents named above], is the whole of the offer and replaces anything said or written about it before. We look forward to working with you.
12Signatures
Someone with authority to hire signs for the company. Both sides keep a signed copy.
- For the Company: [Name], [Title]. Signature: ________ Date: ________
- Accepted by: [Candidate's full name]. Signature: ________ Date: ________
13Before you send
Check each line. An offer is the first promise you make to a new teammate.
- Pay, currency and equity match exactly what was agreed in conversation
- Leave, probation and notice meet the legal minimum where the person will work
- Every condition is lawful there and is one you will actually check
- Nothing is promised that is not written down: no verbal bonus, no unapproved equity
- Someone who knows local employment law has reviewed it