Offer Letter

Overview

Create professional, legally-informed employment offer letters that clearly communicate compensation, benefits, start date, and terms of employment. Generate properly structured documents that reflect the company's tone while covering all essential elements a candidate needs to make an informed decision.

Instructions

When a user asks you to create an offer letter, follow these steps:

Step 1: Collect offer details

Gather the following from the user:

Candidate name: Full legal name
Job title: Official title for the role
Department/team: Where the candidate will work
Manager name and title: Direct supervisor
Start date: Proposed first day
Employment type: Full-time, part-time, contract, at-will
Compensation:
- Base salary (annual) and pay frequency
- Equity/stock options (shares, vesting schedule)
- Signing bonus (amount, clawback terms)
- Performance bonus (target percentage)
Benefits summary: Health, dental, vision, 401k match, PTO
Location: Office, hybrid schedule, or remote
Reporting structure: Who they report to
Offer expiration date: Deadline to accept
Contingencies: Background check, references, etc.

Step 2: Structure the offer letter

[Company Letterhead / Logo]

[Date]

[Candidate Full Name]
[Candidate Address]

Dear [Candidate First Name],

We are thrilled to extend an offer of employment for the position of
**[Job Title]** at [Company Name]. After our interviews, we are
confident you will make a valuable contribution to our [Department] team.

## Position Details

- **Title:** [Job Title]
- **Department:** [Department]
- **Reports to:** [Manager Name], [Manager Title]
- **Location:** [Office location / Remote / Hybrid]
- **Start date:** [Proposed Start Date]
- **Employment type:** [Full-time, at-will]

## Compensation

- **Base salary:** $[Amount] per year, paid [biweekly/semi-monthly]
- **Signing bonus:** $[Amount], payable within 30 days of start date
  [Subject to repayment if you voluntarily leave within 12 months]
- **Annual bonus:** Target of [X]% of base salary, based on individual
  and company performance, prorated for your first year
- **Equity:** [X,XXX] stock options at a strike price of $[X.XX],
  vesting over 4 years with a 1-year cliff (25% after year 1,
  then monthly over remaining 3 years)

## Benefits

You will be eligible for our comprehensive benefits package, including:
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance (effective first day)
- [X] days of paid time off per year
- [X] paid holidays
- 401(k) plan with [X]% company match
- [Additional benefits: parental leave, learning stipend, etc.]

Full benefits details will be provided during onboarding.

## Contingencies

This offer is contingent upon:
- Successful completion of a background check
- Verification of your eligibility to work in [country]
- [Any other contingencies]

## At-Will Employment

Your employment with [Company Name] is at-will, meaning either party
may terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without
cause or notice. This letter does not constitute an employment contract
for any specific duration.

## Next Steps

To accept this offer, please sign below and return this letter by
**[Expiration Date]**. If you have questions, please contact
[HR Contact Name] at [email] or [phone].

We are excited about the possibility of you joining our team and look
forward to your response.

Sincerely,

_________________________
[Signer Name]
[Signer Title]
[Company Name]

---

**Acceptance**

I, [Candidate Name], accept the offer of employment as described above.

Signature: _________________________

Date: _________________________

Step 3: Customize tone and detail level

Adjust the letter based on:

Company stage: Startups may be more casual; enterprises more formal
Role level: Executive offers need more detail on equity and severance
Location: International offers may need visa sponsorship language
Negotiation context: If this is a revised offer, acknowledge the updates

Step 4: Save and deliver

cat > offer_letter_[candidate_last_name].md << 'EOF'
[formatted offer letter]
EOF

Remind the user to have legal/HR review the letter before sending.

Examples

Example 1: Standard software engineer offer

User request: "Write an offer letter for Jane Smith, Senior Software Engineer, $190K base, 10K shares, starting March 3rd."

Key elements:

Base salary: $190,000/year, paid semi-monthly
Equity: 10,000 stock options, 4-year vest with 1-year cliff
Standard benefits package
At-will employment
5-day acceptance window

Example 2: Executive offer with signing bonus

User request: "Draft an offer for our new VP of Engineering with a $50K signing bonus and accelerated vesting."

Additional elements:

Signing bonus with 24-month clawback provision
Accelerated vesting on change of control
Severance terms (e.g., 6 months base salary)
Detailed reporting structure and scope
Board observer rights if applicable

Example 3: Revised offer after negotiation

User request: "The candidate countered. Update the offer from $170K to $185K and add a $15K signing bonus."

Approach:

Read the original offer letter
Update base salary to $185,000
Add signing bonus of $15,000 with standard clawback terms
Add a line acknowledging the revision: "We are pleased to present this revised offer..."
Keep the same expiration date or extend by a few days
Save as a new file, preserving the original

Guidelines

Always remind the user to have legal counsel or HR review the offer letter before sending. This skill generates a draft, not legal advice.
Include all material compensation terms. Ambiguity in an offer letter damages trust.
Be explicit about at-will employment status where applicable.
Clearly state all contingencies (background check, right-to-work verification).
Set a reasonable acceptance deadline (typically 3-7 business days).
Use warm, welcoming language. The offer letter is a key part of the candidate experience.
For equity, specify: number of shares, strike price (if known), vesting schedule, and cliff period.
For signing bonuses, always include clawback terms and payment timeline.
Never include confidential company information like cap table details or specific revenue numbers.
Include clear next steps so the candidate knows exactly what to do.
Save both the markdown and suggest the user convert to PDF on company letterhead for the final version.

offer-letter