Appointment letter template
Copy the text below and replace everything in square brackets with your company details.
[Company Name]
[Registered Office Address]
[City], [State] [PIN Code]
CIN: [CIN], Email: [HR Email]
Date: [Date]
Ref: [Company Code]/HR/APPT/[Year]/[Number]
To
[Employee Name]
Employee ID: [Employee ID]
[Residential Address]
Subject: Letter of appointment
Dear [Employee Name],
Further to our offer letter dated [Offer Date] and your acceptance of it, we are pleased to appoint you as [Designation] in the [Department] department of [Company Name] with effect from [Date of Joining], on the following terms and conditions.
1. Position and place of work
You will be designated [Designation] in grade [Grade] and will report to [Reporting Manager Name], [Manager Designation]. Your place of work will be [Office or Site Address]. The company may transfer you to any of its offices, branches, sites or group companies in India, and may ask you to travel on work, as per its transfer and travel policies.
2. Probation and confirmation
You will be on probation for [Number] months from your date of joining. Your performance will be reviewed before probation ends, and the company may confirm you, extend probation by up to [Number] months with written reasons, or end your employment during probation with [Number] days' notice or pay in lieu. Confirmation will be communicated to you in writing.
3. Remuneration
Your annual cost to company will be ₹[Amount] (Rupees [Amount in Words] only), as detailed in Annexure A. Salary for each month will be paid by bank transfer by the 7th of the following month, after deduction of employee PF, ESI where applicable, professional tax, income tax and other deductions permitted by law. Please keep your salary details confidential.
4. Working hours and attendance
Your working hours will be [Start Time] to [End Time] with a [Number] minute break, [Number] days a week, and your weekly off will be [Day, or as per roster]. You may be placed on shifts as per the roster for your team. Ordinary work will stay within the daily and weekly limits under applicable law, and any overtime will be with your consent and paid at twice your ordinary rate of wages. You will record attendance through [biometric device, mobile app or web punch].
5. Leave and holidays
You will be entitled to leave as per the company's leave policy, currently [Number] days of casual leave, [Number] days of sick leave and [Number] days of earned leave in a year, and in no case less than the annual leave with wages provided under applicable law. The holiday list for your location will be published at the start of each calendar year.
6. Notice period and separation
After confirmation, either party may end this employment by giving [Number] days' written notice or pay in lieu of notice. The company may waive or shorten the notice period at its discretion. On separation you will return all company property and complete the exit formalities, and your dues will be settled as per law and company policy. Any disciplinary action will follow the standing orders or conduct rules that apply to you.
7. Confidentiality and company property
During and after your employment, you will not disclose or use any confidential information of the company, its clients or its employees, except as your work requires. Work you create in the course of your employment belongs to the company. Laptops, ID cards, documents and data given to you remain company property and must be returned on demand or at exit.
8. Statutory benefits and policies
You will be covered under the Employees' Provident Fund and the Employees' State Insurance scheme where applicable, and gratuity will be payable as per law. You will follow the code of conduct, the policy on prevention of sexual harassment and all other company policies as amended from time to time. The retirement age is [Number] years.
Please sign the duplicate copy of this letter and its annexure as your acceptance and return it to the HR department.
Yours sincerely,
For [Company Name]
[Signatory Name]
[Signatory Designation]
Enclosure: Annexure A, salary break-up
Acceptance by employee
I have read and understood the terms and conditions of this appointment and accept them.
Name: [Employee Name]
Employee ID: [Employee ID]
Signature: ____________
Date: ____________
What to include
It is a legal requirement
Under the OSH Code, an appointment letter must be issued to every employee, including probationers, fixed-term staff and site workers. A letter on file for each person is also the first thing an inspector or a labour court will ask for.
Salary through an annexure
Keep the CTC figure in the body and the component break-up in Annexure A. An increment then needs only a revised annexure and an increment letter, not a fresh appointment letter.
Hours, weekly off and overtime
Write the shift timings, break, weekly off and how attendance is recorded. State that overtime is with consent and paid at twice the ordinary rate, in line with the working hours and overtime rules.
Probation that matches practice
Give the probation length, how far it can be extended and the notice during probation. Write only what the company actually applies, because an unused clause becomes an argument in the employee's favour at exit.
Leave not below the legal floor
Name the leave types and days, and add that leave will not be less than the annual leave with wages provided by law. This protects the letter when state rules or the policy change.
Confidentiality and ownership of work
A short clause on confidential information, ownership of work product and return of company property protects client data and code without needing a separate agreement for every role.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Copying the offer letter and calling it an appointment letter, with no hours, leave, notice or conduct terms.
- Writing a probation extension or notice clause that the company never follows in practice.
- Stating leave entitlements below the annual leave with wages the law provides.
- Putting the full salary break-up in the body, so every increment makes the letter outdated.
- Not collecting the employee's signed duplicate on the first day.
Run it in ZeniaHR
The terms in this letter map to fields on the employee record in ZeniaHR. Set designation, grade, department, location, employment type and reporting manager in the organization assignment, and the probation months and notice days in the Work terms policy, so the probation queue and resignation dates follow the same numbers. Enter the monthly gross in Direct Payroll to split it into Basic, DA, HRA and Special for Annexure A. Upload the signed duplicate to the employee's documents.
See it on your own data
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Book a free demoSee pricingFrequently asked questions
Is an appointment letter mandatory in India?
Yes. Under the OSH Code, in force since 21 November 2025 along with the other Labour Codes, an employer must issue an appointment letter to every employee. A clear letter covering designation, pay, hours, leave, probation and notice also prevents most disputes at exit. States notify their own rules, so check whether your state prescribes a format or extra details.
When should an appointment letter be issued?
Issue it on the day of joining or within the first week, once original documents are verified. Some companies wait until confirmation, but that leaves the employee without written terms for months and does not fit the requirement to give every employee an appointment letter. Confirmation is a separate letter issued when probation is completed.
What should an appointment letter include?
At minimum: designation and grade, date of joining, place of work and transfer clause, reporting manager, probation, CTC with a salary annexure, working hours and weekly off, leave, notice period, confidentiality, statutory benefits such as PF and ESI, and the policies the employee must follow. End with an acceptance section the employee signs.
Can the terms of an appointment letter be changed later?
Yes, through a written letter such as an increment, promotion, transfer or designation change letter that refers to the original appointment. Changes that reduce pay or benefits should be discussed and agreed with the employee in writing, and for workers covered by standing orders, check those orders before changing any service condition.