Free Offer Letter Template Download: Word, PDF & Google Docs

What Is an Offer Letter?

You have found the right person. The interviews went well, the reference checked out, and someone made a verbal offer on the phone. Now what?

That phone call is not enough. An employment offer letter is the document that turns the conversation into something real. It confirms the job title, the salary, the start date, and all the terms the candidate needs to actually say yes and mean it.

In the US, most employers send an offer letter before the formal employment contract, or instead of one altogether. It is not typically a legally binding agreement, but that does not mean the language does not matter. Certain phrases, like "permanent position" or "as long as you perform," have been used in US courts to argue against at-will termination. The words you put in a job offer letter have consequences.

A strong offer letter answers every question a candidate is going to ask before they ask it. Who will I report to? When do benefits kick in? What happens if I need to pass a background check? When do I need to give you an answer?

A weak one leaves gaps. And candidates who have questions they cannot answer tend to stall, or say no.

Offer Letter vs. Employment Contract

A lot of SMBs treat these two as the same thing. They are not.

The offer letter is the handshake. The employment contract, if you use one, is the full legal framework. Most US employers, especially SMBs, send an offer letter first, then follow up with a contract or a W-4 and onboarding packet on day one.

One important exception: in most US states, an offer letter should include an explicit at-will statement. Without it, specific language in the letter can create an implied contract. Montana is the only US state that does not recognize at-will employment as the default, so if you are hiring someone in Montana, the rules are different. The National Conference of State Legislatures has a reliable overview of how at-will employment varies by state.

What to Include in a US Offer Letter Template

Most generic templates online give you six bullet points and call it done. Here is what every US offer letter actually needs, and what each field is doing legally and practically.

Job Title and Department

Be precise. "Marketing Manager" is not the same as "Senior Marketing Manager" and the difference matters for compensation benchmarking, reporting lines, and future performance reviews. Include the department so there is no ambiguity about where the person sits in the organization.

FLSA Exemption Status

This is the field most SMB offer letters skip, and it is the most expensive one to get wrong.

The Fair Labor Standards Act requires employers to classify every employee as either exempt or non-exempt. Non-exempt employees are entitled to overtime pay at 1.5 times their regular rate for every hour worked over 40 in a workweek. Exempt employees are not. If you misclassify a non-exempt employee as exempt and they work overtime, you owe back pay for every hour. State by state, the exposure can run to thousands of dollars per employee per year.

The offer letter is the right place to state the classification clearly. It sets the expectation before the first paycheck.

Compensation

State the base salary or hourly rate, how often it is paid (weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, monthly), and the payment method. If the role has a sign-on bonus, include the amount, the payment date, and the clawback terms. A clawback clause means that if the employee leaves within a defined period (commonly 12 months), they return some or all of the bonus. Without that clause in writing, recovering the bonus is legally difficult.

If there is a commission structure, reference the commission plan as an attachment rather than trying to describe it in the offer letter itself.

At-Will Employment Statement

This paragraph does one thing: it protects you from an implied contract claim. It should say, clearly and plainly, that either party can end the employment relationship at any time, for any lawful reason, with or without notice. It should also say that only a written agreement signed by an authorized company officer can modify this. Do not bury it or soften it.

Start Date

Set the start date yourself. Do not let the candidate fill it in. An employer-confirmed start date is cleaner legally and cleaner operationally, since payroll, IT, and HR setup all depend on it.

Work Location and Remote Status

Post-2020, this field is not optional. If the role is remote, name the employee's home state as the primary work location. Tax withholding follows the state where the employee works, not where your company is headquartered. If you are a Texas-based business hiring a fully remote employee in Colorado, you have Colorado payroll tax obligations. Getting the work location right in the offer letter is the first step to getting that right.

Benefits Summary

Do not list every detail of your health plan in the offer letter. Give the candidate enough to make a decision: which benefits are offered, when coverage begins, whether dependents are covered, and where to find the full details. Reference the benefits packet as an attachment.

Key benefits to name: health, dental, and vision insurance; 401(k) and any employer match; paid time off; paid holidays; sick leave. If you offer a remote work stipend or an equipment allowance, mention it here. It matters more to candidates than most employers realize.

Contingencies

Every condition the offer depends on should be named explicitly. Standard US contingencies include a background check, drug screening, employment eligibility verification via Form I-9 (required by federal law for all US employees), and reference checks. If the role requires a professional license, add license verification.

The I-9 is not optional and is not the same as a background check. The employer and employee must complete it no later than the first day of paid work.

W-4

Tell the candidate that they will need to complete IRS Form W-4 before their first payroll date. It is a small detail to include in the offer letter, but candidates who have never encountered it appreciate the heads-up, and it removes a common first-day friction point.

Offer Expiration Date

Give candidates a clear deadline. Five business days is standard for most roles. Executive roles may warrant more time. Without an expiration date, you are holding the position open indefinitely while the candidate shops competing offers, and you have no clean way to rescind if circumstances change.

Signature Block

Space for both parties to sign and date. The employer signature should come from an authorized signatory, named with their title, not just HR. The candidate signature confirms they have read and accepted the terms.

What the Enerpize Offer Letter Template Includes

Most free offer letter templates you find online were built for India, the UK, or some generic jurisdiction with no country in mind. The compensation tables are in the wrong currency. The clauses reference labor law that does not apply in the US. The at-will statement is missing entirely.

The Enerpize offer letter template is built for US hiring from the ground up. Here is what is inside.

Position Details Block

Job title, department, reporting manager, employment type (full-time, part-time, or contract), start date, and work location with a checkbox for on-site, remote, or hybrid. FLSA exemption status is a clearly marked field, not an afterthought. No hunting through a legal dictionary to figure out what to write.

Compensation Table in USD

A structured table covering base salary, sign-on bonus with a clawback note, performance bonus with a target percentage field, commission (with a reference to an attached plan), and total annual compensation. All figures in USD. Pay frequency and payment method are separate checkboxes directly below.

Benefits Checklist

A two-column benefits section with checkboxes for health, dental and vision, 401(k) with a match percentage field, PTO, paid holidays, sick leave, remote stipend, and equipment allowance. A note below the section directs the candidate to the full benefits packet.

Contingencies Checklist

Six labeled checkboxes: background check, drug screening, I-9 (labeled as federally required), reference checks, professional license verification, and an open field for anything else. The W-4 requirement is written in as a standalone line below.

At-Will Statement

Pre-written in plain English. Not legalese. The clause covers termination by either party, the absence of a guaranteed employment duration, and the condition that only a signed written agreement can modify the at-will relationship.

Probationary Period

Checkbox options for 30, 60, and 90 days, six months, or no probationary period. A one-line note confirms at-will terms apply throughout.

Additional Terms

Optional checkboxes for NDA, intellectual property assignment, non-compete, and equity or stock options, each with a reference to an attached document. These are not buried inside the main clauses. They are a named section so the candidate knows exactly what additional agreements are expected.

Offer Expiration

A single field for the expiration date, with instructions for how and where to return the signed letter.

Dual Signature Block

Separate columns for employer and candidate. Each has three fields: name (printed), signature, and date. The candidate section also includes a field for their confirmed join date.

The template is available as a free pay stub template companion for the first payroll run, and pairs naturally with the employee contract template for roles that require a full formal agreement after the offer is accepted.

How Enerpize Handles Offer Letters and HR Onboarding

The offer letter is where most SMB HR processes start. It is also where most of them stall, because the information in the letter and the information in the HR system are two separate things that someone has to reconcile manually.

An employee accepts an offer. Then someone opens the payroll system and types in the salary again. Then someone opens the attendance module and sets up the shift again. Then someone goes back to the offer letter to double-check the start date because they cannot remember what they wrote.

Enerpize removes that loop.

From Signed Offer to Active Employee Record

When a new hire joins Enerpize, their job title, department, salary, and start date go into the employee management module once. That record becomes the foundation for everything else. No re-entry. No version mismatch between what the offer letter says and what payroll has on file.

Contracts Generated from Offer Terms

The Enerpize Payroll and Contracts module takes what the offer letter establishes, employment type, salary structure, probationary period, and payroll cycle, and uses it to generate compliant employment contracts automatically. The contract inherits the offer terms. You are not redrafting anything.

Salary Structure Connected to Payroll from Day One

The compensation defined in the offer letter maps directly into Enerpize's salary component builder. With support for 200+ formulas and 6 payroll cycles, the first payroll run for a new hire requires no manual setup once the offer terms are in the system.

Attendance Tracking Active from Start Date

The start date in the offer letter triggers attendance policy assignment in Enerpize's Attendance and Leave module. Shift assignment, leave balance initialization, and attendance log tracking begin from day one automatically.

HR Structure Ready Before They Walk In

The department and reporting line from the offer letter slot directly into Enerpize's org chart. The Human Resources module supports departments, job roles, designations, and branch structures, so the new hire's position in the hierarchy is defined from the moment the offer is accepted.

For SMBs hiring without a dedicated HR team, this is the difference between an offer letter that starts onboarding and one that just starts paperwork.

Offer Letter Templates for Every Role

Same template. Different hire. Here is what to adjust for each situation.

Standard Full-Time Offer Letter

This one is straightforward. Fill in every section, confirm the FLSA status (most salaried full-time roles are exempt, but cross-check against the DOL salary thresholds before assuming), set a five-day expiration, and send.

Part-Time Offer Letter

Three things need explicit attention that full-time offers often skip. First, state the expected hours per week. Not a range. A number. Second, clarify benefits eligibility upfront, because part-time employees frequently qualify for fewer benefits or accrue PTO at a different rate, and candidates deserve to know that before they sign. Third, mark the FLSA status as non-exempt. Most part-time roles are, and that means overtime at 1.5x kicks in past 40 hours in a workweek even if that was never the plan.

Contract or Freelancer Offer Letter

Strip the benefits section out entirely. The at-will clause goes too. Replace it with a clear independent contractor statement: this person is not an employee, they are responsible for their own taxes and insurance, and the engagement is project-based. Use a rate and scope instead of a base salary. Reference the full contractor agreement as an attachment.

One practical addition: pair the letter with the freelance invoice template so the contractor knows exactly how to bill you from day one. It removes the back-and-forth before the first invoice even lands.

Internal Promotion Offer Letter

The candidate already knows the company. What they need to see in writing is the change. State the current role, the new title, the new department if it is different, the salary adjustment, and the updated reporting line. Confirm the effective date clearly. The at-will clause stays in. Benefits usually carry over unchanged, so a single line noting that existing benefits remain in effect is sufficient.

Remote Work Offer Letter

This one has a detail that catches a lot of SMBs off guard. The employee's home state is their work location for payroll tax purposes, not your company's headquarters. Hire a remote employee in Colorado while you are based in Texas and you have Colorado payroll tax obligations. Get the work location field right in the offer letter and flag it for your payroll provider before the first pay run.

Beyond that, be specific about equipment. Who provides the laptop? Is there a home office stipend? What are the time zone expectations? Candidates in different states read "flexible hours" very differently.

Executive Offer Letter

More detail on compensation, not less. The standard compensation table covers base salary and bonus, but an executive offer typically also includes an equity or stock option grant (reference the equity agreement as an attachment, do not try to summarize it in the letter), any relocation assistance with specific terms, and a brief reference to severance. Point the candidate to the full employment agreement for complete detail. The offer letter at this level is an introduction to the package, not the package itself.

Sales Role Offer Letter

The compensation section carries the most weight here. State the base salary, the commission structure, the bonus target, and the territory or account assignment. Reference the commission plan as an attachment and be specific inside the letter about two things that candidates always want to know and rarely get answered in writing: when commissions are paid, and what happens to deals already in progress if the employee leaves. Leaving those two questions unanswered is how sales offer negotiations stall.

US Legal Considerations for Offer Letters

At-Will Employment and Implied Contract Risk

Language like "permanent position," "long-term opportunity," or "as long as your performance is satisfactory" has been used in US court cases to argue against at-will termination. These phrases create what courts call an implied contract. The fix is straightforward: include an explicit at-will statement and avoid any language that implies guaranteed tenure. The NCSL at-will employment overview is a reliable reference for how this plays out state by state.

I-9 Compliance

Form I-9 is not a background check and it is not optional. Every US employer must verify that new hires are authorized to work in the United States, and that verification must happen by the first day of paid work. The offer letter should reference the I-9 requirement in the contingencies section so the candidate is not surprised. Full I-9 guidance is available at USCIS I-9 Central.

State Salary Transparency Laws

Colorado, California, New York, and Washington all have active pay transparency laws that require employers to disclose salary ranges in job postings and, in some cases, in offer letters. If you are hiring across multiple states or building a remote-first team, your offer letter template needs fields that accommodate salary range disclosure, not just a single salary figure. Requirements and enforcement vary by state, so check the relevant state labor department for current rules. The Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, administered by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, is one of the stricter examples.

EEOC Considerations

Offer letters cannot reference protected characteristics. Age, disability, religion, national origin, sex, and race have no place in the offer letter. Conditional language around medical exams must also comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has clear employer guidance on this.

How to Use the Enerpize Offer Letter Template

Step 1: Download the Template

Pick your preferred format: Word, PDF, or Google Docs. No sign-up required.

Step 2: Add Your Company Details

Replace the company name, address, phone, email, and website in the header block. Add your logo if the format supports it.

Step 3: Fill In the Candidate Information

Name, address, phone, and email at the top. Double-check spelling. This is a formal document and it goes into their personnel file.

Step 4: Complete the Position Details Section

Job title, department, reporting manager, employment type, start date, and work location. Then mark the FLSA status. Exempt or non-exempt. If you are not sure, check the DOL FLSA page before proceeding.

Step 5: Complete the Compensation Table

Base salary in USD. Sign-on bonus amount and clawback period if applicable. Performance bonus target. Commission reference if applicable. Pay frequency and payment method below the table.

Step 6: Check the Applicable Benefits

Work through the benefits checklist. Mark what applies, fill in the enrollment dates and match percentages, and reference the full benefits packet as an attachment.

Step 7: Check the Applicable Contingencies

Background check, drug screen, I-9, references, license verification. Check everything that applies. Add the W-4 note if it is not already pre-filled.

Step 8: Set the Offer Expiration Date

Five business days from the date of the letter is standard. Write the date in, not the number of days.

Step 9: Have an Authorized Signatory Sign First

The employer signature should come from someone with actual authority to make the offer. Get their signature before sending to the candidate.

Step 10: Send and Follow Up

Send the letter by email with the signed PDF attached. Follow up with a call to confirm receipt and give the candidate a chance to ask questions. If they have not responded by day three, a brief check-in is appropriate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a job offer letter legally binding in the US?

In most US states, an offer letter is not a legally binding employment contract, particularly when it includes an at-will statement. However, specific language can create implied obligations. Phrases guaranteeing tenure or specific compensation increases have been upheld in court as enforceable promises in some jurisdictions. Include an explicit at-will clause and have legal counsel review the template before you use it at scale.

What is the difference between an offer letter and an employment contract?

An offer letter summarizes key terms and confirms the hire. An employment contract is a comprehensive legal document covering duties, IP rights, termination procedures, non-compete clauses, and dispute resolution. Most US employers use an offer letter first and follow up with a formal contract at or after the start date, particularly for senior or specialized roles.

Does a US offer letter need to include FLSA exemption status?

It is not legally required in the offer letter itself, but it should be there. The Fair Labor Standards Act governs overtime eligibility regardless of what the offer letter says. Stating the classification clearly from the start prevents disputes later and signals to the candidate whether they should expect overtime pay.

What contingencies should a US offer letter include?

The most common are background check, drug screening, I-9 employment eligibility verification (required by federal law for all US employees), and reference checks. If the role requires a professional license or certification, add verification of that as well. Each contingency should be named explicitly, not grouped under a vague "pre-employment screening" catch-all.

How long should a US job offer stay open?

Five business days is standard for most roles. Executive or senior positions where a candidate may need to negotiate equity or review a full compensation package may warrant seven to ten days. Include a specific date, not a number of days, in the offer letter so there is no room for ambiguity about when the offer expires.

Can I use the same offer letter template for remote employees in different states?

Yes, with state-specific adjustments. The most critical change is the work location field. A remote employee's home state is their work location for tax withholding purposes, not your company's headquarters state. Some states also have their own salary transparency, pay frequency, or termination notice requirements. Review the requirements for each state where you are hiring before sending the letter.

What is an at-will employment statement and why does it matter?

An at-will statement confirms that either the employer or the employee can end the employment relationship at any time, for any lawful reason, without notice. It protects the employer from implied contract claims that could arise from other language in the offer letter. Without it, specific phrasing in the letter can be argued in court as a guarantee of continued employment.

What should I do after the candidate signs the offer letter?

Send the onboarding packet: W-4, I-9 (with instructions on acceptable identity documents), direct deposit authorization, and any required agreements such as an NDA or IP assignment. Confirm the start date and notify payroll to set up the new employee record. In Enerpize, you connect the accepted offer to your HR, payroll, and attendance modules at this point, so the first payroll run requires no additional manual data entry.

Disclaimer: This template is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Employment laws vary by state, industry, and company size. Review your offer letter with qualified legal counsel before use, particularly for roles spanning multiple states or involving equity, non-compete clauses, or specialized compensation structures.