Offer Letters Key Terms

Know offer letters key terms to escape harmful litigation

By Michele Vrouvas

If not worded correctly, the offer letter you send to a job applicant could be used against you should you decide to terminate that person at a later time. For instance, the employee might argue that your offer letter can be construed as a contract for employment making it almost impossible for you to fire the employee without good cause. Learning some key terms related to offer letters can help you avoid these unnecessary mistakes.

Employment contract

Most companies want to make sure that their offer letters cannot be construed as employment contracts.
Try: At Business Owner’s Tool Kit, you’ll learn how to craft an offer letter so that it does not guarantee the applicant job security. Note the guidelines for phrasing the offer in narrow terms so you can terminate the employee if necessary.

Sample employment offer letter

There's plenty of software that allows you to personalize a sample employment offer letter that goes out on your company's letterhead.
Try: Check out the sample employment offer letter at Find Legal Forms. You’ll want the template to contain the right language describing the applicant’s job duties, the company’s vacation policy and benefits offered.

Details of employment offer

In the end, it will pay off to ensure that the details of the employment offer letter accurately describe the oral agreement when the offer was made.
Try: Scroll down on Law Depot’s website to view a sample letter’s “Details of Employment Offer.” Notice how the details specify the number of hours the applicant agreed to work, the compensation arrangements discussed and whether or not the applicant consented to undergo a probationary period.

Rejection of job offer

The rejection of job offer is a written communication in which an applicant politely refuses to take the position.
Try: There’s plenty of good reasons to write a rejection of job offer. Valid reasons include keeping the door open with that employer who will appreciate your taking the time to explain why the position may not fit your present career goals. Purdue University gives excellent advice on when to write the rejection of job offer, what to say and how to let the employer down gently.

Accepting a job offer

HR professionals agree that accepting a job offer by writing a formal letter makes good business sense.
Try: Write Express spells out the points you should make in accepting a job offer, such as whether to mention conditions that your acceptance will be based on, as well as the sincerity and enthusiasm that your letter should convey.

Conditional offer letter

Write a conditional offer letter when you feel it's necessary to clarify the conditions that must exist before an applicant's acceptance can be confirmed.
Try: The burden here is clearly on your HR manager to craft a conditional offer letter as suggested by The University of Virginia. The conditional offer letter should tell the applicant who within your company has official hiring powers and whether those powers can ever be delegated to another employee. Note how The University of Virginia goes on to explain what language must be contained in the offer letter in order to make it binding.