Offer vs Appointment vs Joining Letter

Hiring produces a short run of documents, and each one marks a different step. Most gaps in an employee's paperwork start when two of them are treated as the same thing.

This guide covers the letters that take a candidate from selection to a confirmed employee: what each one records, when it is issued, and how to tell them apart.

Offer letter, before joining. The employer's formal proposal: role, compensation, proposed joining date and principal terms. It invites the candidate to accept, usually by signing within a deadline. Until it is accepted, it is a proposal.

Joining letter, on joining. The term is used two ways in India: a short joining report from the employee, or a letter from the employer confirming the person has joined. The employer's version fixes the actual joining date on record.

Appointment letter, on appointment. The formal record of the terms now in force: designation, effective date, compensation, and conditions of service such as probation and notice. Where the offer proposes, the appointment letter documents.

Probation confirmation letter, when probation ends and the employee is confirmed. It confirms probation is complete and that the appointment letter's terms continue, except for anything it explicitly revises. When probation needs more time, a probation extension letter is used instead, with a factual reason and a new review date.

Internship offer letter, for interns. It is time-bound, with an optional stipend instead of a CTC structure. A completed internship is certified separately, with an internship completion certificate.

Match the document to the situation in front of you:

The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 took effect on 21 November 2025, together with India's three other labour codes. Section 6(1)(f) of that Code requires an employer to issue a letter of appointment to every employee on appointment, with the information and in the form the government prescribes. Employees already in service when the Code began were to receive one within three months of it taking effect.

An accepted offer letter is not a substitute unless it meets the prescribed form. Which establishments the Code covers, and what the prescribed form requires in your state, are points to confirm with a legal advisor. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Is an offer letter the same as an appointment letter? No. The offer letter comes before joining and proposes the employment; it needs the candidate's acceptance. The appointment letter comes on appointment and records the terms now in force. The offer invites; the appointment confirms.

Does a probation confirmation letter replace the appointment letter? No. It confirms the probation outcome and says the appointment letter's terms continue, apart from anything it revises. Keep both on file.

Can probation be extended more than once? That depends on the employment contract and, in some cases, on statutory limits. Confirm with HR or legal before issuing a second extension.

Do interns get an offer letter? Use an internship offer letter: it is built around start and end dates and an optional stipend, not a full salary structure.