Appointment letter template

An appointment letter sets out the terms of employment once a candidate joins: role, compensation, probation, working hours, leave, notice period and confidentiality. It is more detailed than the offer letter. Use this format as a starting point and have your legal or HR adviser review the final version for your state and company policies.

When to use this template

Issue the appointment letter on or shortly after the joining date, once joining documents have been checked. The offer letter confirms the headline terms; the appointment letter is the detailed, signed record of employment.

Use it in OneATS →

Template

[Company letterhead]

Date: [Date]

[Employee name]
[Address]

Subject: Letter of appointment — [Job title]

Dear [Employee name],

With reference to your acceptance of our offer dated [Offer date], we are pleased to appoint you as [Job title] in the [Department] department of [Company name], on the following terms:

1. Date of joining: [Date]
2. Place of work: [Office location]. You may be required to work at other locations as business needs require.
3. Reporting to: [Manager name, title]
4. Compensation: Your annual cost to company (CTC) will be [Amount], as set out in Annexure A. Salary is subject to applicable taxes and statutory deductions.
5. Probation: You will be on probation for [Number] months. On satisfactory completion, your employment will be confirmed in writing.
6. Working hours: [Days and hours], as per company policy.
7. Leave: You are entitled to leave as per the company's leave policy.
8. Notice period: During probation, either party may end employment with [Number] days' notice. After confirmation, the notice period is [Number] days, or salary in lieu of notice.
9. Confidentiality: You will keep confidential all information about the company, its clients and employees, during and after your employment.
10. Company policies: You will follow the company's policies and code of conduct, as amended from time to time.

Please sign and return a copy of this letter as a token of your acceptance.

We welcome you to [Company name] and wish you a successful career with us.

For [Company name]

[Name]
[Title]

Accepted by: ____________________   Date: __________
[Employee name]

How to use this template

Attach the salary breakdown (Annexure A) instead of putting every component in the letter.
Match every term to the offer letter; differences cause disputes.
Keep the policy references current: leave, conduct, IT and data use.
Collect a signed copy and store it with the employee's documents.

Mistakes to avoid

Copying a template without adapting the notice period and probation to your own policy.
Quoting a CTC that differs from the accepted offer.
Leaving out the probation and confirmation terms.
Skipping a legal review for clauses such as non-compete, which may not be enforceable.

Send it from OneATS

In OneATS, appointment letters are generated from your template with the employee's details filled in, sent as a PDF from onboarding, and stored with their joining documents. Onboarding letters in OneATS.