Can We Issue a New Appointment Letter with a Name Change? Seeking Advice and Samples

Hi Guys, I need your help. We have an employee who was onboarded last year in November 2011. We issued the appointment letter to her with the name "XYZ," even though her PAN card and other ID proofs mentioned the name "ABC" (we did this at her request). Now, the employee is requesting a revised appointment letter with the name "ABC."

Can We Issue a New Appointment Letter?

I want to know whether we can issue a new appointment letter with the name changed. If yes, please help me with a sample.

Thanks, Mona

An appointment letter should be in the name of the employee who has provided proof of identity. Please let me know if you need any further assistance.

I fully agree with Mr. Bhatinarang. Now, you should ask the employee to return the original appointment letter and, in exchange, issue her a new appointment letter for which you have the authority.

Please check her identity to see if she has changed her name. If she has, obtain a gazetted copy of the name change and verify it. If not, ask her to leave the job.

Thank you.

Correcting an Appointment Letter Issued with the Wrong Name

It is a mistake to issue an appointment letter in the wrong name. First, take back the letter issued in the name of XYZ. Issue a new letter after confirming her identity and carrying out verification.

Verification of Identity Documents and Appointment Letter

Please check the name and date of birth on the photo ID (PAN Card, Voter Card, Passport, Driving License) and on her certificates (Higher Secondary onwards). Compare these with the name on the appointment letter already issued by you. If they match, advise the candidate to follow the laid-down procedure for a change of name, which starts with a notification in a national newspaper, and produce the requisite approval from the Registrar's office appointed by the state administration. Thereafter, you may provide a fresh appointment letter, mentioning the cancellation of the letter already issued in the XYZ name.

If the name is not the same, how did you issue the appointment letter to ABC when XYZ was selected for the job? You need to review and fine-tune your recruitment process. This includes accepting only resumes that have been signed by the candidate and carry the candidate's photograph fixed or pasted on it, comparing the photograph with the candidate in person and with his or her photo ID, and then allowing the individual to appear for a test or interview. Affix another copy of the photograph, attested by HR, on the interview evaluation form. You will introduce a fail-safe system if the candidate's signatures, while accepting your appointment letter, are compared with his or her signatures on the resume and certified by HR. Keep all these documents in the employee's personal file for reference.

Facts as stated by an applicant in their application for employment are verified by authentic documents submitted or produced at the time of selection, and a copy of the same is retained in the official records of the organization upon their appointment. The issue of a letter of appointment in another name (as per the request of the appointee) is in utter disregard of the information contained in verified documents and is a blunder on the part of the HR professional handling the case. Once known to your employer, it will create a tough time for you in saving your skin, anyway. What you can do in the present situation is as follows:

- Ensure that such a blunder does not recur.
- Take back the originally issued letter and issue the other one in the correct name.
- Please ensure that the letter requesting a change of name is not placed in her personal records within the organization.
- Never quote this situation to anyone in your organization.

I am sure this will be of some help to you.

Regards,
S.K. Johri

Dear Friend, first, it is not right that you mentioned/gave the wrong name in the appointment letter. Second, you can change it under certain conditions/genuine reasons after verifying his/her identity proof and schooling credentials, and it must be attested by a gazette officer.

Meenu

I wonder whether the change in name is necessitated by marriage/divorce. In any case, since the appointment was made a year ago and the name XYZ appears in many company records, it would not be appropriate to issue a new appointment with the name ABC. However, you can issue a formal order allowing the prospective change of the name as desired by her, but she should provide reasons for seeking the change that are satisfactory. For the record, the appointment order shall always be in the name given in the academic record. Frequent changes of name or surname shall not be allowed except in the case of women employees following their marriage/divorce and if the employee desires it.

Hope this clarifies.

Regards,
KK