Useful Human Resources Letter Samples for Every Office

Are you aware of the HR letters an employee requires from their employers due to personal or professional reasons?

HR letters are many and each letter serves a different purpose. From offer letter to relieving letter, each have their own unique importance. At times you need it to fight for your rights in an organization and most of the times you require it when you change jobs. The following article talks about different types of employment letters that an employee should always ask the employer.

HR letters are important form of communication between employee and employer. They serve as documentation about the communication between employee and employer. This documentation serves as verification in a form of formal correspondence. The main purpose of this letter is to verify that the employee works in the organization, how much they make and some other information requested by a potential creditor.

Types of HR letters

There are several HR letters each serving different purpose. Following are some of the HR letters that will help you understand the purpose.

• Offer letter

If a candidate successfully clears all rounds of interviews and satisfies the criteria determined for a potential candidate, then he/she is regarded as a suitable candidate for the company. Now, as he/she has cleared all the necessary rounds and proved his/her suitability, the company officially provides him/her a letter, and this letter is known as the Offer letter.

Offer letters start the employment relationship on a positive note. It also serve as the legal basis for employment. If you get an Offer letter when you are getting ready to start a new job, it is advisable to read it very carefully as it is a crucial document. It usually states the designation, work timings, salary structure and joining date along with few important clauses about probation and termination.

An Offer letter can be revoked due to any confidential reasons without disclosing it to the candidate. A signed Offer letter can either be sent via post or delivered in person or a scanned copy can be e-mailed to the candidate.

• Appointment letter

After giving the Offer Letter to the candidate, an Appointment Letter is the next step of interaction between a company and an employee. Appointment letter is a guarantee about the given job and position in that Payroll software company and they have accepted the terms and agreement in exchange for a salary. This letter is a binding document and should contain all the information necessary for an employee such as designation, work/role expectations, probation period terms, salary structure, location of work, work timings, code of conduct, termination clauses, notice period, etc.

An Appointment letter should always be written on a company’s letterhead complete with their logo centered at the top of the document, reference number and address signed by an authorized person. A copy of this letter should be kept for company records as well after the employee has accepted it by signing on it.

• Confirmation letter

The Confirmation letter mainly contains similar information as an Appointment letter but mainly highlights changes in designation, role, location, work timings, termination clauses, notice period, etc. A Confirmation letter is a correspondence sent to confirm details, like oral agreements, appointments, and job interviews. If an employee successfully completes the probation period, then the company wants to retain the employee in the company and therefore requires a Confirmation letter. This letter states that the candidate is now a permanent employee of the company and would get the same benefits as the other permanent employee.

A Confirmation letter typically contains the date the letter was written, a salutation, the name and address of the recipient, the terms and conditions of the agreement and the name, address and signature of the person confirming the agreement. This type of letter is normally printed on company letterhead and signed and stamped by an authorized personnel.

• Appraisal letter

An Appraisal letter is an effective tool used to motivate and recognize employee performance. Regular evaluations provide a clear analysis of employee strengths and weaknesses that are used for training and improving performance outcomes of the business. For an employee an Appraisal letter is a ladder for his success which also determines his increment. Letter of Appraisal, generally in terms of salary, is to be offered every time when there is increment in the salary. The increment is based on the policy of the company, and so is the issuing of the Letter of Appraisal. It should contain the appraisal result, score, ranking, grade, etc. Along with this information, any changes in role, designation, band and salary should be highlighted. It may also include comparison of previous salary structure with the revised one, if there’s a change in the salary structure post appraisal.

An Appraisal letter should be printed on the company letterhead, signed and stamped by an authorized signatory before being handed over to an employee. Both parties sign this letter as a token of mutual agreement on the terms and conditions mentioned in the letter.

• Relieving letter

A Relieving letter is a formal letter that is issued to an employee at the time of leaving an organization. It is a formal way of communicating to the employee that the resignation has been accepted. Similarly, the HR software department can ask the employee to get a clearance certificate from his or her department head. The clearance certificate is necessary so that the company’s accounting department can issue final dues and employee payments.

Along with an experience letter/salary certificate, most of the companies ask for a Relieving letter which is required at the time of joining a new company. It should clearly mention the on board time and that the employee has no dues with the organization. This document displays the date of joining at that firm, date of resignation and last working day for the resigned employee. This should be printed on company letterhead and signed and stamped by an authorized signatory.