Is It Safe to Resign Based on an Email Offer Letter Without a Hard Copy?

I'm in receipt of an offer letter (10 pages) via email. At the same time, they mentioned that I would receive the hard copy of the offer letter at the time of joining. This email is from the company's confidential email ID. It does not have any signatures from an authorized person, nor is it on the company letterhead (no seal, no logo, no trademark), but there is just a mention of the company's name on a few of the pages. When I contacted HR, they said that it is from a confidential source and the email "can be considered as a recorded confirmation from our end and proceed with your resignation in your current organization."

This would be my third offer letter, and I've never come across such a scenario where I have no hard copy and have to resign. I'm in a dilemma now and require your help or suggestions on 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

Issuance of Appointment Offers Before Joining

Some reputed organizations issue offers of appointment before the actual joining date. You may want to check the management setup in such cases.

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

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

Regards,
P. Xavier Raj

I kindly request that you issue a hard copy or scanned copy of the signed offer letter on the company's letterhead.

Regards,
Nitu

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

Please don't worry too much as long as you are sure of the company's standing—meaning if it's a large or 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.

Reasons for Emailing Offer Letters

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.

Difference Between Offer Letter and Appointment Letter

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

Thank you very much. I will be pursuing them for the hard copy.

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.

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

Dear Nitin,

An offer letter through email is quite a valid document, provided it is not received as a phishing mail but as a result of your job application and completion of the interview process. You can insist on a hard copy on the date of joining without losing time and reporting for duty. Take a printout of the offer letter received through email to compare with the contents of the 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.

Regards,

If the letter you received is from the company email, I guess it should not be much of a problem. I agree with TS. Most companies prefer to go paperless. In Singapore, we always go paperless.

Thank you very much. The offer is from an authenticated HR email 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

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 to date with the company and various people you have met, make the decision. However, if your efforts so far in pursuing them yield good results, nothing like that.

All the best,

Narendra

Understanding Offer Letters and Joining Procedures

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.

Regards.

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!

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.

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 so that you can compare it with the hard copy provided by the company. Sometimes it's good to be cautious.

Regards