👥 HR Template

Offer Letter Template

Employment offer with compensation, start date, conditions. Example: Full-time Marketing Manager.

What an offer of employment should state

• The position, the start date and who the employee reports to
• Employment type: full-time, part-time, casual, ongoing or fixed-term
• The award, enterprise agreement or classification that applies, if any
• The rate of pay, the pay cycle, and superannuation
• Ordinary hours, and how any additional hours are treated
• Leave entitlements, referring to the National Employment Standards
• Probation, and the notice period during and after it
• Any conditions the offer depends on: checks, qualifications, visa status
• A place to sign and date, and a date the offer expires

The offer letter is where award obligations become concrete

Most small-business underpayment cases begin with an offer letter that set a salary without checking the award the role falls under. An annualised salary can absorb overtime and penalties only if it is set up to, and it still has to leave the employee better off than the award would. Check the classification before you name a number, not after the first quarter’s rosters.

• Identify the correct award and classification level before setting pay
• If you are paying an annualised salary, say what it is intended to absorb and keep records that show it does
• Give the Fair Work Information Statement, and a Casual Employment Information Statement for casuals

Practical points

• Make conditional offers genuinely conditional, in writing, before the person resigns elsewhere
• Do not state a probation period longer than the minimum employment period allows you to rely on
• Keep the signed copy; employee records must be kept for seven years

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General information only — not legal, tax or financial advice. For contracts and tax documents, confirm your obligations with a qualified professional or the relevant authority.