Hiring and probation

Confirmation of start date and first day letter

Conditions met, start date fixed, here is where to be, when, and what to bring.

The references are back, the right to work is checked and you can now tell the new starter it is definite. Also the moment to hand over the practical things: where to report, who to ask for, what to wear, what to bring, what happens on day one.

Before it goes

  • Every condition in the offer letter is satisfied and recorded.
  • The written statement of particulars is signed or ready to sign on day one.
  • Somebody is actually expecting them at the time and place you name.

The letter

[COMPANY NAME] [COMPANY ADDRESS] [DATE] [EMPLOYEE NAME] [EMPLOYEE ADDRESS] Dear [EMPLOYEE FIRST NAME], Your start with [COMPANY NAME] Thank you for returning your signed offer letter and the documents we asked for. All the conditions of your offer have now been met and I am pleased to confirm that your employment as [JOB TITLE] will start on [START DATE]. On your first day: Please arrive at [TIME] at [ADDRESS]. Ask for [NAME], who will meet you and take you through your induction. Please bring [your bank details, your P45 or a completed starter checklist, your driving licence / CSCS card / qualification certificates, and anything else you have not already sent us]. Please wear [dress code / your own safety boots; we will issue the rest of your PPE on the day]. Your first day will cover [health and safety induction, a tour, your login details, an introduction to the team and your first week's plan]. Your written statement of terms and conditions is [enclosed / will be given to you on your first day for signature]. Please read it before you start and raise any questions with me. Your hours in the first week will be [HOURS]. You will be paid on [FIRST PAY DAY] for the period [PERIOD]. If anything changes before [START DATE], or you have any questions at all, call me on [PHONE] or email [EMAIL]. We are looking forward to having you on the team. Yours sincerely, [MANAGER NAME] [JOB TITLE] [COMPANY NAME]

Filling it in

Who meets them
A name, not a department. The worst first day is standing in reception while somebody is found.
Documents to bring
The P45 or HMRC starter checklist decides their tax code. Miss it and they pay emergency tax for a month and blame you.
PPE and dress
Say what you provide and what they bring. On a construction site, boots are usually theirs, everything else yours.

What the law says

  • Employment Rights Act 1996 s.1: the written statement must be given on or before the first day.
  • Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 s.2 and Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 reg.13: new starters must receive health and safety information and training on starting.
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 send this until the conditions are actually met. If you must give a date sooner, say it is provisional.
  • Do not leave the induction to chance. The health and safety part is a legal duty, not a courtesy.

Questions people ask

Do I need this letter as well as the offer letter?

The offer letter said "subject to". This one says "confirmed". A new starter resigning from their old job wants the second one in writing, and so should you.

What is a starter checklist?

The HMRC form a new employee completes when they do not have a P45 from a previous job. It tells payroll which tax code to use. Ask for one or the other, not neither.

What must a first-day induction cover?

At minimum: emergency procedures, first aid, welfare, the hazards of the workplace and the controls, who to report to, how to report problems. Record who delivered it and when, and have the new starter sign it.

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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