Job offer letter template
A conditional offer, with the conditions actually written down - because an unconditional offer, once accepted, is a contract you cannot simply withdraw.
An offer letter is not the written statement of employment particulars, and it is not the contract. It is the offer - normally conditional on checks you have not finished yet. Keep those conditions explicit, because withdrawing an unconditional offer that has been accepted is a breach of contract, not a change of mind. The statutory statement follows separately and must be with them on or before their first day.
Download the offer letter PDF · 2 pages · edit the [bracketed] parts
The template
Replace each [bracketed placeholder]. Copy it straight from this page, or download the PDF above.
[Company letterhead]
[Candidate name]
[Address]
[Date]
Dear [name],
Following your interview on [date], I am delighted to offer you the position of [job title], reporting to [role], based at [location]. [This offer is conditional - see clause 5.]
Start date: [date], subject to clause 5.
Salary: £[amount] per [year], paid [monthly] in arrears.
Hours: [hours, and any variability].
Holiday: [X] days plus [8] bank holidays, pro-rated.
Probationary period: [X] months.
Notice: [X] during probation, [X] after.
Pension: you will be enrolled into [scheme] if you meet the automatic enrolment criteria.
Full particulars will be set out in your written statement of employment particulars, which you will receive on or before your first day.
Please confirm your acceptance by [date] by [signing and returning this letter / replying to this email]. Before you start we will need: proof of your right to work in the UK [and we will tell you which documents, or send you a link to verify online]; your P45 or a completed starter declaration; your bank details; and an emergency contact.
We are required to check that everyone we employ has the right to work in the UK, and we do this for every new starter without exception. We will [arrange a document check on or before your first day / send you a link to a certified identity service provider / ask you for a share code]. We cannot let you start work until this check is complete.
This offer is conditional on: a satisfactory right to work check; [satisfactory references covering [period]]; [a satisfactory [basic / standard / enhanced] DBS check, which is required for this role because [reason]]; [proof of the qualifications you told us about]; and [any other condition]. If any condition is not met we may withdraw this offer, and we will tell you why. Until every condition is satisfied, no contract of employment exists between us.
Please arrive at [location] at [time] on [date] and ask for [name]. [Bring the documents listed in clause 3.] We will send your induction plan the week before you start. If you need any adjustment to your working arrangements or to your first day, tell [contact] - the earlier we know, the easier it is to arrange properly.
We are looking forward to working with you. If anything here is unclear, call me on [number].
Yours sincerely,
[Name], [Role]
I accept the offer of employment on the terms set out above.
Signed: ......................... Print name: ......................... Date: .............
Getting it right
- Keep clause 5 in. An unconditional offer, once accepted, forms a binding contract - withdrawing it because a reference disappointed you is then a breach. Conditions must be stated up front; you cannot add them after acceptance.
- Do not put health questions in the offer letter stage-left. Once you have made the offer, s.60 no longer bites, but any decision based on health is still a disability discrimination question. If a role has a genuine health requirement, handle it as a stated condition, applied consistently.
- It is not the written statement. The statutory particulars are a separate day-one duty - use the written statement template and issue it with or before the offer pack.
- Say what happens if they need adjustments. Clause 6 makes that a normal part of joining rather than something a new starter has to raise as a special request.
This is a starting point for a general UK employer and is not legal advice. Roles requiring DBS checks, professional registration or visa sponsorship carry conditions worth getting specific advice on.
More to download: All 30 templates · 66 guides explaining the rules · 24 calculators
Offer accepted, record created, checklist running
CoDash turns an accepted candidate into a person record with the right-to-work evidence, the written statement and the day-one checklist already attached - so nothing waits until their first morning.