An employment offer letter is the short, informal letter a company sends a candidate before they start — extending a job offer that’s still conditional on things like a background check and proof of work eligibility, and accepted by signature. It is not the full employment agreement: it precedes that document and is meant to be read and signed quickly. Download the ready-to-fill template below, or read the full checklist first — it covers what a solid offer letter needs and the mistakes that most often cause problems later.
A complete, ready-to-fill PDF — 8 clauses, blanks for every detail, and a signature block for both parties. Free, no email, no account. Read it and adapt it before you use it; the cover page explains what it can and cannot do for you.
Need the other party to sign it too? Send it for signature with a full audit trail and a tamper-evident seal on the finished file — they never need an account. See pricing.
This document is a general-purpose template provided for information only. It is not legal advice, it does not create a lawyer–client relationship, and nobody has reviewed it against your situation.
Laws differ by country, state and province, and they change. A clause that is standard in one place can be unenforceable — or illegal — in another. Terms that are ordinary between two businesses can be void in a consumer or employment context.
Read every clause before you use it, fill in every blank, and delete anything that does not apply. For anything high-value, unusual, or that you could not afford to lose a dispute over, have a qualified lawyer in your jurisdiction review it before it is signed.
Candidate and company names
Who the offer is from and who it is addressed to — the Candidate’s full name and address, and the Company’s full legal name.
Job title and reporting line
The position being offered and who the Candidate will report to.
Start date
The anticipated first day of work — stated as anticipated, since it is still subject to the conditions below.
Compensation and benefits summary
Base pay, pay frequency, and a plain-language summary of bonus, commission, equity, or benefits eligibility. Full plan terms live in the plan documents, not the letter.
Employment basis
Whether the role is at-will or for a fixed term. This is a one-line statement here — the full term, notice, and termination mechanics belong in the governing employment agreement, not the offer letter.
Conditions of the offer
What still has to happen before the offer becomes final — typically a background or reference check and proof of eligibility to work. Without this clause, an offer reads as unconditional the moment it’s signed.
Reference to the governing agreement
A line making clear that a separate employment agreement, confidentiality agreement, or handbook acknowledgment — not this letter — governs the relationship once the Candidate starts.
Acceptance deadline and signature
A short window to sign and return the letter, so the offer doesn’t sit open indefinitely, plus a place for the Candidate to accept by signing.
Fill in the template above — in any PDF editor — then send it to the candidate for signature. They sign online and never need an account, and the finished file comes back sealed with an audit certificate showing who signed, when, and from where.
Once the candidate accepts, the next step is usually the full employment contract — the document that actually governs the working relationship.
Free plan: sign and send 3 documents a month, no card required. Unlimited documents and recipients start at $19/month.