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
What should a job offer letter say? 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: .............
An offer letter example, filled in
The same template with the brackets resolved - a fictional company and candidate, so you can see the tone the placeholders are aiming for:
Meadowbrook Design Ltd · 14 Foundry Lane, Leeds LS1 4BR
Priya Shah · 22 Elm Grove, Leeds LS6 2AP · 14 September 2026
Dear Priya,
Following your interview, we are delighted to offer you the role of Senior Designer at Meadowbrook Design, reporting to Tom Okafor, Design Director. Your salary will be £41,000 per year, paid monthly in arrears, and your proposed start date is Monday 5 October 2026, based at our Leeds studio with up to two days a week from home.
This offer is conditional on: proof of your right to work in the UK (please bring original documents on or before your first day), and receipt of two satisfactory references. It is not conditional on anything we have not listed here.
You will receive 25 days' holiday plus bank holidays, employer pension contributions of 4%, and our standard benefits, set out in the enclosed summary. Your full terms will follow in your written statement of particulars, which you will receive on or before day one.
Please confirm your acceptance by replying to this letter by 21 September 2026. We are very much looking forward to working with you.
Yours sincerely,
Elena Marsh, People Manager
Two things worth copying from the example beyond the wording: the conditions are a closed list ("not conditional on anything we have not listed"), and the written statement of particulars is promised for day one, which is the legal deadline rather than a courtesy.
How do you get an offer letter 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.
Frequently asked questions
Is a job offer letter legally binding?
An unconditional offer, once accepted, forms a binding contract. That is why clause 5 states the conditions up front: right to work, references and any DBS check. Conditions cannot be added after acceptance.
Is the offer letter the same as the written statement of particulars?
No. The written statement is a separate day-one duty under s.1 Employment Rights Act 1996. Issue it with or before the offer pack using the written statement template.
Can we withdraw an offer if a reference is poor?
Only if the offer was conditional on satisfactory references and that condition was stated before acceptance. Withdrawing an unconditional accepted offer is a breach of contract, not a change of mind.
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 45 templates · 79 guides explaining the rules · 27 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.