PeopleMuster

Appointment letter format

Appointment letters are issued after the candidate accepts. Where the offer persuaded, this one instructs: join on this date, at this grade, and bring these documents.

Heading
[COMPANY NAME] · [COMPANY ADDRESS]
Ref: [REFERENCE NUMBER]
Date: [DATE]
To: [APPOINTEE NAME]
[APPOINTEE ADDRESS]
Subject: Appointment as [JOB TITLE]

Appointment
Dear [APPOINTEE NAME],
Further to your acceptance dated [ACCEPTANCE DATE], you are appointed as [JOB TITLE].
Your appointment takes effect from [JOINING DATE].

Terms of appointment
1. Designation: [JOB TITLE], grade [GRADE OR BAND]
2. Place of posting: [POSTING LOCATION]
3. Reporting: you report to [MANAGER NAME], [MANAGER TITLE]
4. Remuneration: [ANNUAL SALARY], structured as set out in Annexure A
5. Probation: [PROBATION LENGTH], extendable at management's discretion
6. Hours: [WORKING HOURS] on [WORKING DAYS]
7. Leave: as per the leave policy in force, currently [LEAVE DAYS] days a year
8. Transfer: you may be posted to any [COMPANY NAME] office or client site
9. Notice: [NOTICE PERIOD] by either side once confirmed
10. Retirement age: [RETIREMENT AGE]

Papers to bring on joining
National identity document
Educational certificates, originals and copies
Relieving letter from your last employer
Latest salary slip or pay record
[NUMBER] passport-size photographs
Bank account details for salary credit

Signature
Please sign the duplicate copy of this letter to record your acceptance.
For [COMPANY NAME]
[SIGNATORY NAME], [SIGNATORY TITLE]
Accepted. Signed: ______________  Date: ____________

Before you send it

  • Number the clauses. Someone will quote one back at you in two years.
  • Give the letter a reference number and file it against the person's record.
  • Put the pay breakdown in an annexure, not in clause 4. Structures change more often than appointments do.
  • List the joining papers precisely. Vague lists produce half the documents on day one.
  • Keep the signed duplicate. An unsigned appointment letter proves very little.

Questions people ask about this letter

What is the difference between an offer letter and an appointment letter?

Sequence and purpose. The offer letter asks; the appointment letter confirms. The offer goes out while the candidate is still deciding, and the appointment letter follows acceptance with the binding terms and the joining instructions.

Should an appointment letter list a grade?

Yes, where your organisation runs grades or bands, because increments, leave quotas and approval limits are usually tied to them. A letter that names only a job title leaves those hooks dangling.

What if the joining date slips?

Issue a short amendment naming the new date and referencing the original letter number. Reissuing the whole letter creates two versions in the file, and the wrong one always surfaces later.

Other templates