Leaving

Promotion or change of role letter

Confirms a promotion or move to a new role, the new terms, any trial period, and the reporting line.

Someone is stepping up or moving sideways. The new role, pay, hours and reporting line are agreed. Put it in writing within a month, and if you want a trial period with a right to return to the old role, agree it now.

Before it goes

  • The new terms are agreed in full.
  • You have decided whether there is a trial period, how long, and what happens if it does not work out.
  • The job description exists.

The letter

[COMPANY NAME] [COMPANY ADDRESS] [DATE] [EMPLOYEE NAME] [EMPLOYEE ADDRESS] Dear [EMPLOYEE FIRST NAME], Your appointment as [NEW JOB TITLE] I am delighted to confirm your appointment as [NEW JOB TITLE] with effect from [EFFECTIVE DATE], reporting to [MANAGER NAME], [MANAGER TITLE]. The terms of your new role are: Pay: [£ AMOUNT] per [year / hour] (previously [£ OLD AMOUNT]), first paid on [PAY DATE]. Hours: [HOURS] per week, [PATTERN][, unchanged]. Place of work: [PLACE][, unchanged]. Holiday: [NUMBER] days a year including bank holidays[, unchanged]. Notice: [NOTICE PERIOD] from either side[, increased from [OLD NOTICE]]. [Benefits: you are now eligible for [BENEFIT] from [DATE].] Your main responsibilities are set out in the enclosed job description. In summary, you will [TWO OR THREE LINES]. [Trial period: we have agreed that the first [NUMBER] months in the role, to [DATE], will be a trial period. We will meet at the end of [MONTH] and at the end of the trial to review how it is going. If either of us concludes during the trial that the role is not the right fit, you will return to your previous role of [OLD TITLE] on your previous terms, with no detriment. After the trial, the appointment becomes permanent.] All other terms and conditions of your employment remain unchanged. This letter forms part of your written statement of employment particulars; please keep it with your original statement. Congratulations. You have earned this, and I look forward to seeing what you do with it. Yours sincerely, [MANAGER NAME] [JOB TITLE] [COMPANY NAME]

Filling it in

Trial period
Delete if not wanted. If wanted, this paragraph is the only thing that gives you a clean route back. Without it, a "demotion" later is a breach of contract.
Notice
Senior roles often carry longer notice. Say if it has changed.

What the law says

  • Employment Rights Act 1996 s.4: written statement of the change within one month.
  • Contract: a trial period with a right to revert to the previous role must be agreed expressly; otherwise the promotion is a permanent variation and demotion would need agreement or be a breach.
Guidance, not legal advice. Employment law moves; check the current position before relying on any of it, and take advice on anything that could end someone's employment.

What turns this letter into a claim

  • Do not promote on a handshake and sort the paperwork "later". A month is the legal limit and the pay dispute arrives before then.
  • Do not forget the person now reporting to them. Their letter of change of reporting line is a courtesy that avoids confusion on Monday.

Questions people ask

Can I put someone on probation for a promotion?

You can agree a trial period with a right to return to the old role, and this letter shows how. Calling it probation and dismissing at the end of it is a different thing entirely and would be a dismissal from the whole employment.

Does a promotion restart continuous service?

No. Continuous service runs from the first day of employment regardless of changes of role. Notice, redundancy pay and unfair dismissal rights all count from the original start date.

The letter, with the names already in

Employ AI drafts letters like this one from the employee's record, so the dates, service and pay are already right, and the disciplinary module writes the invitation and outcome letters from the case itself. All 44 letter families, 49 UK policies, GPS clock-in, rotas, leave and timesheets: £2.50 a month plus £1 per employee. 14 days free, no card.

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