Hello,

I'm in receipt of an Offer letter(10 pages) on my e-mail. At the same time they have mentioned that I would be getting the hard copy of the offer letter at the time of joining. This e-mail is from the company confidential e-mail id, it does not have any signatures on it from authorised person, neither it is on the company letter head(no seal, no logo, no trademark), but there is just mention of company's name on few of the pages. When I contacted HR they said that it is from a confidential source and the mail "can be considered as a recorded confirmation from our end and proceed with your resignation in your current organisation"

This would be my 3rd offer letter and I've never come across such a scenario werein I've no hard copy and I've to put resignation. I'm in a dilemma now, I require your help/suggestion as to what needs to be done in such cases. Is it alright to resign on this basis.

Thanks a lot to one and all in advance.

Regards,

Nitin

From India
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Some of the reputed organizations are issuing offers of appointment before joining. You may check out the management setup.

Similarly, some of the organizations do not issue appointment orders even though employees join the organization. Subsequently, after one year, they are regularized, but it is not a correct practice for the management.

Once again, in my opinion, you should review the organization's setup and decide on your resignation.

P. Xavier Raj

From India, Pondicherry
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Dear Nitin, Request them to issue a hard copy/scanned copy of signed offer letter on the letter head of the company. Nitu
From India, Surat
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Dear Nitin,

Please convey to them that you understand that as part of their standard procedure, they typically provide a hard copy of the offer letter upon joining. However, since you are very enthusiastic about the offer and need to submit your resignation to your current company, you require a formal hard copy of the offer letter.

I would like to mention that I was also in a similar situation where I received an offer via email without a signature, etc. After persistent requests to their HR department, I was eventually provided with a hard copy of the offer letter.

Regards,
Nitu

From India, Surat
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Hello Nitin,

Please don't worry too much as long as you are sure of the company's standing – meaning if it's a large/standard one. Many companies nowadays email the offer letters (which are different from an appointment letter), and this can be taken as confirmed for you to proceed with resignation. This is called a 'soft copy,' and the email header (from, to, time-tagging, etc.) trail is sufficient proof that it's a valid document, even legally.

There are several reasons for such a practice:
1. Saving paper.
2. Saving the time needed for the hard copy to reach the prospective employee and their written acceptance.
3. Preventing misuse by unscrupulous candidates of such appointment/offer letters, to the extent possible.

Regarding the difference between the offer letter and appointment letter, the offer letter is just that – an offer from the company, while the appointment letter is a formal letter of appointment, which is a legal document. Previously, candidates used to join once they accepted the offer/appointment letter, but nowadays, there's no guarantee that a person will join even after accepting the offer.

I hope this clarifies. All the best.

Regards,
TS

From India, Hyderabad
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@Nitu - Thank you very much. I will be pursuing them for the hard copy.

@TS - Thank you very much for your extensive explanation. I understand the email copy and would have proceeded had the email copy been on the company's letterhead (with logo, seal, registered address, etc). However, the email copy is on plain A4 size paper (11 pages with terms & conditions), which does not lend authenticity. This has puzzled me. My cousin recently joined their sister concern and had all documentation in order - he received the first email acceptance and then the hard copy after a week. In this case, they have assured me of providing the hard copy at the time of joining.

From India
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Hello Nitin,

Looks like the HR in this company is yet to learn the nuances of handling offers through soft copies. If they agree to give you the hard copy, fine. If not, suggest asking them to mail the 'scanned' copy of the offer/appointment letter now—which usually is on the company letterhead—followed by the hard copy when you join. If all's okay at that end, they shouldn't have any objections to do so—I have seen many companies oblige such a request on a case-by-case basis.

All the best.

Regards,
TS

From India, Hyderabad
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Dear Nitin,
Offer letter through email is quite a valid document, if not receved as a phishing mail, but as a result of your job application and completion of interview process. You can insist on a hard copy on the date of joining without losing time and reporting for duty. Take a print out of the offer letter received through email to compare with the contents of hard copy at the time of joining, so that there may not be any altered clause in the hard copy you would be required to sign for acceptance on joining.

From India, Delhi
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If the letter you received is from the company email..I guess it should not be much problem. I agree with TS. Most companies prefer to go paperless. In Singapore, we always go paperless.
From Singapore, Singapore
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Thank you very much. The offer is from an authenticated HR mail ID of the company. The only thing missing is the letterhead/logo. The HR has confirmed to me via email that it is genuine. Therefore, I believe it is absolutely perfect for me to go ahead, submit my resignation, and join the new organization.

Thank you once again for all your help.

Regards,
Nitin

From India
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If it is from authenticate HR email id, there is no problem. all the best for your new job. -Arun
From India, Delhi
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Hi Nitin,

There is no risk in going ahead with your resignation and getting your appointment letter at the time of joining. This is becoming the current practice and would soon become the order of the day. Based on your transactions till date with the company and various people you have met, make the decision. However, if your efforts so far of pursuing them yield good results, nothing like that.

All the best,
Narendra

From India, Mumbai
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An offer letter means that the company is extending an offer to you, and it is up to you whether to accept it or not. So, how could the company give you the offer letter at the time of joining?

If you want to join the company, you can inquire from someone familiar with that company. However, do not tender your resignation to your current company until you are satisfied with the new offer.

From India, Delhi
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Why don;t you take a two days leave from your company and then verify personally at the office. Then hand over your official resignation if you are still afraid. Best of luck
From Singapore, Singapore
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Nitin,

As many have mentioned above, these days it's quite common to issue offers via email to save time and paper. There are positions where people don't stay for more than six months or one year, especially in BPOs. In such cases, the job offer is often sent via email, and the acceptance is also requested through email within the stated time frame.

However, if someone needs a hard copy of the offer to proceed with resigning from their current company, a scanned copy of the original offer is usually emailed to the candidates, ideally on the company letterhead. You can request such a copy. If obtaining a scanned copy is not possible, you can inform them that you will collect it in person before your joining date. Visit the office to collect the hard copy and then proceed with your resignation.

Wishing you all the best for your new job!

From India, New Delhi
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Dear Nitin,

Don't mistake me if you don't like my comments here. First of all, from your query, I don't understand whether or not you applied for this post, attended the interview, and came out successfully. My suggestion would depend on your answers to this. However, presuming you did, then it is better you visit that office personally, verify the authenticity, and if possible, insist on a hard copy of the offer letter duly signed. This will help you make a decision about quitting your current employer. My suggestion is based on my own experiences. I received many offer letters through emails from around the world, claiming they selected me based on my CVs still present on job sites. They requested my credit card number, bank account numbers, etc. By just seeing them, I could tell they were fake. My sincere advice to you is not to resign from your current job without a valid offer letter from a recruiting company in your hand.

Best regards,
Kumar S.

From India, Bangalore
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Dear Nitin,

Please also give heed to what Mr. Dhingra has said. Do not forget to take a printout of the emailed offer letter on the date of joining with you so that you may compare it with the hard copy provided by the company. Sometimes it's good to be cautious.

From India, New Delhi
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