Appointment Letter Template and How to Use It (2026)

What is an appointment letter, and how is it different from an offer letter? An appointment letter is the formal document an employer gives a new hire that sets out the terms of their employment: role, start date, pay, working hours, leave, notice period, and the conditions of the job. It is issued once the person has accepted the role and, in most cases, confirms that they are now appointed to the position. It is the written record both sides rely on if a question about the terms of employment comes up later. People often confuse it with an offer letter. An offer letter proposes the job and its main terms and invites the candidate to accept; it comes first and is usually shorter. An appointment letter is the fuller document that follows acceptance and sets out the detailed, binding terms of the appointment. In some organisations the two are combined into one document; in others they are separate steps. Either way, it is the appointment letter (or the detailed terms it contains) that governs the working relationship. This article is general guidance, not legal advice. Employment law varies by jurisdiction, and some countries require specific contents or formalities, so have a qualified professional review a letter before you rely on it. ## Appointment letter template Copy the block below and fill the bracketed fields. ```

[COMPANY NAME] [Company address] [Date] Private and Confidential [Employee name] [Employee address] Dear [Employee name], LETTER OF APPOINTMENT We are pleased to appoint you to the position of [job title] at [Company name] ("the Company"), on the following terms. 1. POSITION AND REPORTING You will be employed as [job title], reporting to [manager / title]. Your duties are those set out in [the attached job description], and such other reasonable duties as the Company may assign. 2. COMMENCEMENT AND CATEGORY Your employment begins on [start date]. Your employment is [permanent / fixed-term until [date] / contract]. [Your place of work is [location] / You will work remotely / hybrid as agreed]. 3. PROBATION You will serve a probation period of [N] months. During probation, either party may end the employment on [N days] notice. On satisfactory completion, your appointment will be confirmed in writing. 4. REMUNERATION Your [gross annual / monthly] remuneration is [amount], payable [monthly], made up of [basic pay, allowances, and any variable pay as set out in the attached salary breakup]. Statutory deductions and contributions apply as required by law. 5. WORKING HOURS AND LEAVE Your normal working hours are [hours / days]. You are entitled to [N] days of paid leave per year, plus public holidays, and to leave and benefits required by applicable law. 6. BENEFITS AND SOCIAL SECURITY You are entitled to [list benefits], and to statutory social-security coverage [for example provident fund / insurance] as required by law. 7. CONFIDENTIALITY AND CONDUCT You will keep the Company's confidential information secret during and after employment, and will comply with the Company's policies and code of conduct, as amended from time to time. 8. NOTICE AND TERMINATION After confirmation, either party may end the employment on [N days / months] written notice, or payment in lieu. The Company may terminate without notice for serious misconduct, subject to applicable law. 9. GOVERNING LAW This appointment is governed by the laws of [jurisdiction]. Please sign and return the enclosed copy to confirm your acceptance of these terms. Yours sincerely, __________________________ [Name, title], for [Company name] I accept the terms of this appointment. __________________________ Date: ____________ [Employee name]

- **Commencement and category (clause 2).** State the start date and the employment category (permanent, fixed-term, or contract). The category drives several rights, so be precise. Record the place of work or the remote or hybrid arrangement.
- **Probation (clause 3).** Set the length and the notice that applies during probation, and say the appointment is confirmed in writing on satisfactory completion. Do not leave confirmation to assumption.
- **Remuneration (clause 4).** State the total pay and attach a breakup of basic pay, allowances, and variable pay. In some jurisdictions the split between basic and allowances affects statutory contributions, so get the structure right. Reference statutory deductions rather than trying to list every one.
- **Working hours and leave (clauses 5 and 6).** State hours, paid leave, and statutory social-security coverage. These are heavily regulated and vary by jurisdiction, so align them with local law rather than a generic number.
- **Confidentiality and conduct (clause 7).** Bind the employee to confidentiality during and after employment and to company policies. For sensitive roles, use a fuller separate agreement.
- **Notice and termination (clause 8).** Set the post-confirmation notice for both sides and preserve the right to dismiss for serious misconduct, subject to local law on fair process. ## Common mistakes to avoid - Treating an offer letter as if it were the full appointment letter, leaving key terms unrecorded.
- Not stating the employment category, which drives several statutory rights.
- A vague or missing probation-confirmation step, so status is unclear after probation.
- Pay stated as a single number with no breakup, which can cause problems where the basic-to-allowance split drives statutory contributions.
- Copying a notice or termination clause that ignores local rules on fair process.
- Not getting the employee's signed acceptance, so there is no clear record of agreement.
- Issuing the letter after the start date where the law requires it on or before joining. ## A note on jurisdiction What an appointment letter must contain, and whether one is legally required at all, varies by jurisdiction. In India, the position changed with the four labour codes, which the government brought into force on 21 November 2025. Under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code and its rules, employers are required to issue a formal appointment letter to employees, with prescribed contents, and the requirement is reported to apply broadly across categories of worker. <!-- [VERIFY: confirm that issuance of appointment letters is mandatory under the OSH Code, 2020 (reported s.6(1)(f)) and the central rules, the prescribed contents, and the timing (on or before joining), against the official code and rules text; sources to date are HR and advisory blogs] --> In the UK, employers must give most employees a written statement of particulars, with certain information on or before the first day. Other jurisdictions, the EU, Ireland, Singapore, Australia, and the US, each set their own rules on what written terms must be provided and when. Because the required contents and timing differ, confirm the local requirement rather than assuming one template fits every market. Last verified October 2026. ## Where a contract workspace helps A template gives you a sound appointment letter. The ongoing work is everything around it: keeping the wording current as employment law changes, issuing consistent letters across roles and locations, tracking signed acceptances and key dates such as probation confirmation, and keeping versions straight as you hire at scale. Issuing an appointment letter and then keeping its wording current, tracking signed acceptances and dates such as probation confirmation across every role and location, can live in one AI workspace tuned to how your company hires. [Adira](https://adiralaw.com) is built for this: it drafts a letter from a template, adjusts terms in plain language, flags where a letter is missing something a jurisdiction requires, and keeps the signed copy, the key dates and the obligations together. This template alone is enough to issue a fair appointment letter today; a workspace simply joins drafting, tracking and keeping letters current into one connected job.