Job offer letter for Australian employers
Sets out the terms before employment starts — including the two fields most offer letters omit, the applicable modern award and the classification level. Those omissions are where underpayment begins.
Job offer letter
PDF · 2 pages · no signup
General information only, not legal advice.
This template is general information for Australian employers, not legal advice. Obligations depend on the applicable modern award or agreement, the employment contract and the circumstances — confirm anything you are unsure of with Fair Work or a workplace relations adviser. It does not constitute legal, HR, or professional advice and should not be relied on as a substitute for advice specific to your business, workforce, or circumstances.
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What's in the template
The offer, and the fields that stop it becoming a problem later.
Award and classification
Named explicitly. This is the most commonly omitted detail and the one that causes underpayment.
Pay and superannuation
Base rate as its own field, with superannuation shown separately rather than folded into a package.
Hours and pattern
Ordinary hours and the usual working pattern, which matters for part-time and casual arrangements.
Conditions
Right to work, licences, references — stated as conditions rather than assumed.
Expiry date
An offer that stays open indefinitely is hard to withdraw cleanly.
Statements to attach
A prompt for the Fair Work Information Statement, and the Casual Employment Information Statement for casuals.
The fields most offer letters get wrong
Three omissions account for most of the trouble that follows an offer.
No award named
If the role is award-covered, the offer should say which award and which classification level. Without it, nobody can check the rate is right — and it usually is not checked until something goes wrong.
Employment type left vague
Casual employment has specific requirements and must be described as casual. "Part-time or casual as required" is not a description of anything.
Superannuation inside a package
Quoting a single package figure makes it hard for the candidate to compare, and harder for you to demonstrate the base rate meets the award minimum.
No statements attached
New employees must be given the Fair Work Information Statement. Casual employees must also be given the Casual Employment Information Statement.
An offer letter is not an employment contract
The offer records what was agreed; the contract governs the employment. Send the contract promptly afterwards and make sure the two match — an offer promising something the contract omits creates an argument nobody needs.\n\nWhere they conflict, expect the more favourable interpretation to be argued.
How to use it
Four steps.
1. Identify the award
Find the applicable modern award and the classification level for the role before you write the offer.
2. Check the rate
Confirm the base rate meets or exceeds the classification minimum. Our award guides carry current rates.
3. Complete the offer
Type, hours, pay, super, start date, conditions and an expiry date.
4. Send with the statements
Attach the Fair Work Information Statement, plus the Casual statement where relevant.
Check the award rate before you name a figure, not after the candidate accepts.
Who uses an offer letter
Do you check award classifications for clients?
The award and classification on an offer letter set the rate for the whole employment. Advisors who bring shift-based clients onto RosterElf get award interpretation applied automatically, and earn recurring monthly income per employee managed.
Recurring monthly income
$1.00–$2.00 per active employee
Signup bonus
$100 per new client business
Tiered rates
Bronze through Diamond
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The full shelf of free Australian HR forms and letters.
Learn moreJob offer letter questions
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Position title, employment type, the applicable modern award and classification level, base rate of pay, superannuation shown separately, ordinary hours and pattern, location, start date, who the person reports to, any conditions, and an expiry date for the offer.
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Because the award and classification set the minimum rate. An offer that does not name them cannot be checked against the minimum, and nobody usually checks until an underpayment surfaces.\n\nOur award rate guides set out current minimums by classification.
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Show it separately. A single package figure makes it hard for the candidate to compare offers and harder for you to demonstrate that the base rate meets the award minimum.
Before you download
General information only — not legal advice
This document is a general HR template provided for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and may not reflect the latest changes in legislation or apply to every workplace situation. RosterElf Pty Ltd and the template provider accept no liability for any loss arising from reliance on this document. Users should seek independent legal advice and customise the template to ensure it complies with all relevant laws, awards and workplace requirements.