PeopleMuster

Employee transfer letter format

Transfer letters move a person between offices, departments or client sites. Same employer, same contract, different desk and often a different city.

Heading
[COMPANY NAME]
Ref: [REFERENCE NUMBER]
Date: [DATE]
To: [EMPLOYEE NAME], [JOB TITLE]
Employee ID: [EMPLOYEE ID]
Subject: Transfer to [NEW LOCATION OR DEPARTMENT]

The transfer
Dear [EMPLOYEE FIRST NAME],
You are transferred from [CURRENT LOCATION OR DEPARTMENT] to [NEW LOCATION OR DEPARTMENT].
Released from current posting: [RELEASE DATE]
Report at new posting: [JOINING DATE AT NEW POSTING]
New reporting manager: [NEW MANAGER NAME]
Your designation and grade are unchanged.

Before you go
Hand over live work to [HANDOVER RECIPIENT] by [HANDOVER DEADLINE].
Return anything site-specific: [ITEMS TO RETURN].
Update your shift assignment with [SHIFT CONTACT] if the new site runs different hours.
Clear pending approvals with your current manager.

Support for the move
Relocation assistance: [RELOCATION SUPPORT OFFERED]
Travel arrangements: [WHO BOOKS AND WHAT IS COVERED]
Joining time allowed between postings: [JOINING TIME]
Accommodation help: [ACCOMMODATION SUPPORT, IF ANY]

Closing
[NEW MANAGER NAME] will contact you before [JOINING DATE AT NEW POSTING] to plan your first week.
[SENDER NAME]
[SENDER TITLE]
Acknowledged: ______________  Date: ____________

Before you send it

  • Give a handover deadline that falls before the release date, not on it.
  • Name the person receiving the handover. Teams do not receive handovers; people do.
  • State the joining time allowed between postings, especially for a move between cities.
  • Check the new site's shift pattern before the letter goes out.
  • Copy both managers. A transfer with one informed manager goes wrong in week one.

Questions people ask about this letter

Does a transfer need a new contract?

Usually not, because the employer has not changed. What often does need updating is the place of work named in the original letter, so issue this transfer letter and file it with that letter rather than replacing it.

How much notice should a transfer letter give?

Enough for the person to arrange a life, which is far more for a move between cities than a move between floors. Ask before you set the date. A transfer nobody can act on is a resignation in slow motion.

What should the handover cover?

Live work, access, and anything only this person knows. Write it as a list with a name beside each item. Handovers fail on the undocumented middle, not on the obvious things.

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