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What is an employment confirmation letter? Why is it important? How to write one? So many questions. So many answers, but all of them, are covered right here in this very blog.

You know what else? I have also attached a downloadable template just for you! So the next time you have to tell an employee you’re changing their status from ‘on probation’ to ‘permanent employee’, you won’t have to worry at all!

In this blog, I have covered,

• Downloadable template
• What is an employment confirmation letter?
• What should you include in an employment confirmation letter?
• Common errors to avoid while writing an employment confirmation letter
• Summary

Download the employment confirmation letter template now!

What is an employment confirmation letter?

Before we look at this letter, I think it’s important to understand what probation

What is a probation period?

Very often companies hire employees on probation. This usually lasts for a few months, most cases 6 months. This period is for employers to understand how well (or not) the employee works. During this time, the employee is graded based on their work. And based on how they perform, then they are either given permanent employee status or they are let go from the company.

Letter of confirmation of employment

So, now you know what probation means. This letter is essentially given when you want to inform an employee that they are being taken off probation and instead taken on as a permanent employee. It’s really as simple as that.

So now, moving on to other factors, like why is it important to write a good employment confirmation letter.

What should you include in an employment confirmation letter?

Congratulatory statement for the new employee

Obviously, this is a happy occasion, so you need to begin with a happy statement. Congratulate the employee for all the good work and for becoming a permanent employee of the organization.

Employee’s job title and description

This is too pretty obvious, isn’t it?

Explicitly call out which role you are offering the employee. The job title should be followed by a little brief about what kind of work they will need to do. ist down their everyday tasks responsibilities and jobs.

Date of joining and job location

Clearly state details like job location and the employee’s first day after probation in the letter. You should also talk about the working hours per day and working days per week. Give a brief description of the employee’s attendance and leave policy here too.

Include next steps and deadlines for them

This step would talk about things that the employee has to do before they begin their permanent role. It will include

1. Relevant documents to be submitted (if needed)
2. Last date to submit the documents
3. Accepting the offer of the permanent role (unless the employee has plans to move on to another place)

Employee salary along with structure and other benefits

Mention the candidate’s salary structure, frequency of payment and mode of payment. If you are one of those companies that offer stock options, that too should be mentioned in the letter. You could also check out our tool that can calculate salary break up for free!

Conditions based on which you made the offer (if any)

Maybe you noticed that this employee, let’s say for example a sales rep, was very good at following up with leads and was able to convert many of them. You expect them to either maintain (if not grow) the high lead conversion rate even after they become permanent employees. This becomes a condition of employment. You need to mention the minimum conversion rate that they need to maintain in the employment confirmation letter.

Another example could be, if your employee has all the knowledge required for the job, but lacks the understanding of one tool, they must learn the tool in the time between receiving the offer and the date of joining.

Additional information

This would include you giving the phone number or email id of their new manager so they can contact them in case of any doubts. It would also include the mention of the company dress code (which they should already know, but you should mention it anyway!) Also, include a brief on company policies and how they apply to the new permanent status of the employee.

Common errors to avoid while writing an employment confirmation letter

Here are some of the common errors to avoid while writing a confirmation letter for employment

• Grammatical errors! I have said this in so many of the blogs I have written, but I still don’t think I can stress this enough. It’s the worst experience when a candidate or employee finds grammatical errors or typos in your letter. So be extra careful.
• Don’t make the mistake of leaving out important details. Be as specific and clear as possible.
• And don’t give out any wrong details by mistake either. Check and re-check things, especially things such as joining date, job role manager’s contact number and so on.
• Don’t make this letter sound like a contract. It is used to essentially deliver good news to an employee. So let it come across that way. While a certain amount of formality is needed, let the letter have an overall happy and positive tone to it.
• Don’t forget to tell the employee for how long the offer is valid. While most employees will be happy to become a permanent part of your company, never assume they always will. Some might have other plans of switching, Maybe while you were seeing if they were a good fit for you, they realised you aren’t a good fit for them! So give them sufficient time (and mention how long) to accept (or decline) the offer.

Summary

So, now you know how to write a wonderful employment confirmation letter!

1. Congratulate the employee
2. Mention details about the new job
3. Give them time to accept or decline the offer
4. Check the letter for errors and typos before sending it

And you’re all set! To ensure that you don’t miss out on anything in the letter, download the template by clicking on the button above!

Not to be considered as tax, legal, financial or HR advice. Regulations change over time so please consult a lawyer, accountant  or Labour Law  expert for specific guidance.