Template · Offers and pre-employment
Offer letter template
In short
An offer letter template is a ready-to-edit job offer letter that confirms the position, start date, pay, FLSA classification, benefits, at-will status, contingencies and response deadline in writing. This template covers every clause a careful US HR team includes, with placeholders in brackets and notes on what to change for your state.
Job Offer Letter template
Job Offer Letter
Replace every [Placeholder] before sending. Delete any optional paragraph that does not apply. Have counsel review the final version once for each state you hire in.
Letterhead and date
[Company Legal Name] [Company Address]
[Date]
[Candidate Name] [Candidate Address] [Candidate Email]
Opening
Dear [Candidate Name],
We are pleased to offer you the position of [Job Title] with [Company Legal Name] ("the Company"). This letter sets out the terms of our offer. We enjoyed getting to know you during the interview process and believe you will be a strong addition to the [Department / Team Name] team.
Position and start date
Your position is [Job Title], reporting to [Manager Name], [Manager Title]. Your anticipated start date is [Start Date]. You will work [on site at [Work Location Address] / remotely from [State] / on a hybrid schedule of [number] days per week at [Work Location]].
This is a [full-time / part-time] position. Your regular schedule will be [e.g. 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. / rotating shifts as scheduled, including evenings and weekends]. Your schedule may change based on business needs.
Compensation
[For exempt roles:] You will be paid an annual base salary of $[Amount], less applicable withholdings and deductions, paid [biweekly / semi-monthly] in accordance with the Company's regular payroll schedule. This position is classified as exempt from overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act and applicable state law.
[For non-exempt roles:] You will be paid $[Hourly Rate] per hour, less applicable withholdings and deductions, paid [weekly / biweekly]. This position is classified as non-exempt, and you will be eligible for overtime pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek [and as required by state law]. [Shift differential: You will receive an additional $[Amount] per hour for hours worked on [shift].]
[Optional:] You will be eligible for [a sign-on bonus of $[Amount], payable [on your first regular payday / after [number] days of employment]] [and an annual bonus target of [percent]% of base salary under the [Plan Name], subject to the terms of that plan]. [Repayment terms, if any: If you resign voluntarily within [number] months of your start date, you agree to repay [the full / a prorated portion of the] sign-on bonus, to the extent permitted by law.]
[Optional:] Subject to approval by the [Board of Directors / Compensation Committee], you will be granted [number] [stock options / restricted stock units] under the [Plan Name], vesting according to the plan and your grant agreement. The plan and grant agreement govern in case of any conflict with this letter.
Benefits and time off
You will be eligible to participate in the Company's benefit programs, including [medical, dental and vision insurance, 401(k) with [match details], life and disability insurance], subject to the terms and eligibility rules of each plan. Coverage begins [on your start date / on the first of the month following [number] days of employment]. You will accrue [number] [days / hours] of paid time off per year, plus [number] paid holidays, under the Company's PTO policy. The Company may change its benefit plans and policies from time to time.
Contingencies
This offer is contingent on [select all that apply: satisfactory completion of a background check / satisfactory reference checks / a drug screen / verification of [license or certification]], conducted in accordance with applicable law. You will receive separate disclosure and authorization forms for any background check.
As required by federal law, you must complete Section 1 of Form I-9 on or before your first day of work and present acceptable documents establishing your identity and authorization to work in the United States within three business days of your start date.
[Optional:] This offer is also contingent on your signing the Company's [Confidentiality and Invention Assignment Agreement / Arbitration Agreement], which is enclosed.
At-will employment
Your employment with the Company is at will. This means that either you or the Company may end the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause and with or without notice. Nothing in this letter, in Company policies or in any oral statement creates a contract of employment for any specific length of time. The at-will nature of your employment can only be changed in a written agreement signed by you and [Title of Authorized Officer, e.g. the Chief Executive Officer].
Prior obligations
By accepting this offer, you confirm that you are not bound by any agreement with a current or former employer that would prevent you from performing the duties of this position, and that you will not bring or use any confidential information belonging to a former employer. Please tell us before accepting if you are subject to a non-compete, non-solicitation or similar agreement.
Entire offer and acceptance
This letter, together with the enclosed documents, is the complete offer and replaces any earlier discussions or representations about the terms of your employment.
This offer remains open until [Time] [Time Zone] on [Expiration Date]. To accept, please sign and date below and return this letter to [Recruiter Name] at [Email Address]. If you have questions about any part of this offer, contact [Recruiter Name] at [Phone Number] or [Manager Name].
We look forward to working with you.
Sincerely,
[Signer Name] [Signer Title] [Company Legal Name]
Enclosures: [list, e.g. benefits summary, Confidentiality Agreement, state wage notice]
Candidate acceptance
- I accept this offer of employment on the terms set out in this letter
- Candidate printed name
- Candidate signature
- Date signed
- Confirmed start date
How to use this template
- Get the approved compensation, title, manager, location and start date from the requisition or offer approval before you open the template.
- Pick the exempt or non-exempt compensation paragraph based on the job's FLSA classification and delete the other one.
- List only the contingencies you actually apply to this role and make sure each one has a separate, compliant process behind it.
- Add any state-required pay notice or wage disclosure as an enclosure for the state where the employee will work.
- Make a verbal or video offer first, then send the written letter the same day so the candidate has the details in writing.
- Set a response deadline of 2 to 5 business days and send through e-signature so you have a time-stamped acceptance.
- File the signed letter in the employee record and hand off to onboarding as soon as it comes back.
What an offer letter does, and what it should not do
A job offer letter puts the agreed terms in writing: title, manager, start date, pay, classification, benefits eligibility, contingencies and at-will status. It is the document the candidate signs to say yes, and it is the first thing a lawyer or the state labor department will ask for if pay or terms are ever disputed. For the definition and how it differs from other hiring documents, see our glossary entry on the offer letter.
What it should not do is promise job security. In the US, most offer letters are short and at will. If you need fixed terms, a defined notice period, severance or detailed restrictive covenants, use a full employment contract template instead, typically for executives or roles outside the US.
When the background check or drug screen has not cleared yet, send a conditional offer letter that makes the contingency the center of the letter, rather than burying it in one paragraph.
Clauses that cause the most trouble
Pay stated as an annual figure with no at-will language. Courts in some states have read "$60,000 per year" as a promise of a year's employment. State pay per pay period or keep the annual figure and include a clear at-will clause. This template does both.
Wrong FLSA classification. Calling a role exempt in the letter does not make it exempt. Exemption depends on the salary level and the actual duties under the FLSA and state law, and several states (California, New York and Washington among them) set salary thresholds well above the federal one. Check the classification before the letter goes out.
Vague bonus language. "Eligible for a bonus" with no reference to a plan invites disputes. Name the plan, say it is discretionary if it is, and set repayment terms for sign-on bonuses in writing.
Background check consent inside the letter. The FCRA requires the background check disclosure to be a standalone document. Mention the contingency in the offer letter, but send the disclosure and authorization separately on a background check authorization form.
Promises the hiring manager made verbally. If the manager said "you'll be reviewed for a raise at six months," either put it in the letter or make sure the candidate knows it is not part of the offer. The integration clause in this template helps, but it does not fix a candidate who feels misled.
State and country variations
The template is written for US at-will employment. A few points change by location:
- Montana is not fully at will after the probationary period under its Wrongful Discharge from Employment Act, so adjust the at-will paragraph.
- New York (Labor Law Section 195) requires a written pay notice at hire, and California (Labor Code 2810.5) requires a wage notice for non-exempt employees. Enclose them with the offer.
- Many states and cities ban asking about salary history, and a growing number require pay ranges in job postings. Make sure the offered pay is inside the range you posted.
- Non-compete clauses are void or heavily restricted in California, Minnesota, North Dakota and Oklahoma, and several other states set salary floors or notice requirements for them.
- Outside the US, most countries require a written statement or contract with notice periods, and at-will language is meaningless or harmful. Use local counsel.
This page is informational, not legal advice, and rules change often. Have employment counsel review your final template for each state you hire in.
Sending offers at volume
A staffing team placing 40 warehouse associates a week across three sites cannot hand-type offer letters. The fix is a small set of locked templates (for example, hourly non-exempt, salaried exempt and temporary) where recruiters can only change the approved fields: name, start date, site, shift, rate and differential.
Pull the pay rate from the approved requisition, not from the recruiter's memory. The most common offer error in high-volume hiring is the wrong rate or shift differential, and it is the one candidates notice first. Generate and send letters through your job offer software and collect signatures with e-signatures so acceptances are time-stamped and land in the candidate record automatically.
Keep deadlines short for hourly roles. A 48-hour response window with a reminder at 24 hours is typical; hourly candidates often have two or three offers in hand and will take the first one that arrives with a clear start date. Pair the letter with a short job offer email that tells the candidate exactly what to do next.
Record-keeping
Keep the signed offer letter in the personnel file. Federal EEOC rules require employers to keep hiring records for at least one year, and the FLSA requires payroll records, including the rate of pay, for three years, so the offer letter will usually sit in the file well beyond that as the record of agreed terms. For declined offers, keep the letter and the decline with the requisition records for at least the same one-year period.
Frequently asked questions
What should a job offer letter include?
At minimum: job title, manager, start date, work location, full- or part-time status, pay rate and frequency, FLSA exempt or non-exempt status, benefits eligibility, any contingencies, an at-will statement, a response deadline and a signature line for the candidate.
Is an employment offer letter legally binding?
Once signed, it can be treated as evidence of the agreed terms, such as pay and start date, and courts may enforce specific promises in it. A clear at-will clause usually prevents it from being read as a guarantee of employment for a fixed term. Rules vary by state.
What is the standard offer letter format?
Company letterhead and date, a short opening that makes the offer, sections for position and start date, compensation, benefits, contingencies and at-will status, then the deadline and how to accept, the signer's name and title, and a candidate acceptance block.
How long should a candidate have to accept a job offer?
Typically 2 to 5 business days for salaried roles and 24 to 48 hours for hourly, high-volume roles. Very short deadlines on senior offers can feel like pressure and push good candidates away.
Can you rescind an offer letter after it has been signed?
In an at-will state, an employer can usually withdraw an offer, but doing so after the candidate has resigned from another job can create claims such as promissory estoppel. Withdrawing because a contingency was not met is safer, provided you followed the required process, such as FCRA adverse action steps.
Do I need a separate offer letter sample for hourly workers?
Yes, it helps. Hourly letters should state the hourly rate, overtime eligibility, shift and any differential, and they should include any state wage notice. Using a salaried template for hourly roles is a common source of classification errors.