California · Standard edition

California Employment Offer Letter Template

Create a California employment offer letter online. The Standard offer letter covers the position, start date, pay and benefits, introductory period, Form I-9 and background check conditions, confidentiality and inventions, at-will employment, and California hiring notices.

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California rules built into this template

  • Pay notice at hire: Employers must give new employees a written notice of the pay rate, payday, and other information listed in Cal. Lab. Code § 2810.5.
  • Inventions: under Cal. Lab. Code §§ 2870-2872, an employer cannot require assignment of an invention the employee develops entirely on their own time without company equipment, supplies, facilities, or trade secrets, unless it relates to the employer's business or results from the employee's work for the employer.
  • At-will employment: California employment is generally at will, and the letter states that it is not a contract for a fixed term. Every new hire must complete federal Form I-9.

What the Employment Offer Letter includes

  1. Position
  2. Start Date
  3. Employment Type and Compensation
  4. Benefits
  5. Introductory Period
  6. Conditions of This Offer
  7. Confidentiality and Inventions
  8. At-Will Employment
  9. Policies
  10. Entire Offer
  11. Acceptance
  12. Governing Law

Frequently asked questions

Is an offer letter a binding contract in California?
Usually not for a fixed term. California employment is generally at will, and the Standard offer letter says so, but the stated pay and terms should still be accurate because promises in an offer letter can be relied on.
What must an employer tell a new hire in California?
Employers must give new employees a written notice of the pay rate, payday, and other information listed in Cal. Lab. Code § 2810.5. Every new hire must complete federal Form I-9, and employers must report new hires to the state.
What is the difference between the Standard and Professional Employment Offer Letter?
The Standard edition is a complete, state-aware Employment Offer Letter for common situations. The Professional edition adds longer clause coverage, schedules, and optional modules for more complex matters. You can preview either edition free before you pay.

Employment Offer Letter templates for other states

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