Employment Offer Letter
A free, editable Word employment offer letter for England & Wales that doubles as the section 1 Employment Rights Act 1996 statement of main terms, a conditional offer (right to work, references), UK notice periods, holiday and pension auto-enrolment, IP and confidentiality, equal-opportunities, and a clear acceptance block. No US 'at-will' employment.
What's inside
A complete, UK-drafted employment offer letter
- A conditional offer (right to work in the UK, references, checks) and start date
- The section 1 ERA 1996 statement of main terms: pay, hours, holiday, place of work
- UK notice periods (s.86 ERA 1996), probation, and pension auto-enrolment (Pensions Act 2008)
- Confidentiality and IP ownership of employee works (s.39 Patents Act 1977, s.11 CDPA 1988)
- Statutory Sick Pay, an equal-opportunities statement (Equality Act 2010) and a UK GDPR notice
- A simple acceptance block, governed by the law of England and Wales
How it works
- 1
Tell us where to send it
Enter your name, work email and organisation. We email you an editable Microsoft Word (.docx) file, personalised with your name.
- 2
Fill in the bracketed fields
Open it in Word, Google Docs or LibreOffice and complete every [bracketed] field with your details and commercial terms.
- 3
Review and adapt before use
Adapt the clauses to your circumstances and have it reviewed by a qualified solicitor before you sign or publish it.
This template is not legal advice. Writford is a software company, not a law firm, and is not regulated by the SRA. This document is a starting point that must be reviewed, adapted and approved by a qualified solicitor before use. It was last reviewed on 25 June 2026.
Get the free template
We email you an editable Word copy, personalised with your name. No account needed.
Looking for something else? Browse all templates.
Is an employment offer letter a legally binding contract?
It becomes binding once the candidate accepts it. That is why an offer letter should state that it is conditional on whatever it is really conditional on, such as references or the right to work in the UK, before those checks are complete.
- What must a UK employer give a new employee in writing?
- A principal statement of the main terms on or before the first day, covering pay, hours, place of work, holiday, job title and probation, with sick pay and notice due on day one too. Some further particulars can follow within two months.
- Can I withdraw an offer after it is accepted?
- Once accepted, a contract exists, and withdrawing it can amount to a breach. Making the offer expressly conditional on checks you have not yet completed is what protects you.
- Should I include a probation period?
- Most employers do, commonly three to six months, with a shorter notice period during it. Say what happens at the end, because a probation that simply lapses achieves nothing.
- Do I have to check the right to work in the UK?
- Yes, for every employee, before they start. The check protects you from a civil penalty, and the offer should be conditional on it.
- Does the offer letter replace a contract of employment?
- No. It sets out the headline terms and creates the agreement. A fuller contract handles confidentiality, restrictive covenants and policies, and the offer should refer to it.