Before You Sign That Offer Letter – PART I

You’ve just landed a job and your new employer has sent your offer, Congratulations!

Despite the apparent excitement, it’s still important to read through your offer letter closely so you know what you’re agreeing to. The excitement may make it seem like a boring task, given that contracts are often long and full of jargon – but we’ve got you covered.

Here’s how to understand what to look out for before you sign the offer letter.

1. The company

Your offer letter should have the official name of the company employing you. Pay attention to any subsidiary companies that may be listed and whether you are expected to be involved with these companies, as this may affect where or when you work.

2. Important dates

Your offer must include your discussed start date (and end date, if it is a contract role). If there are inconsistencies even the smallest ones, don’t be afraid to bring them to the attention of the employer and have them changed! Also, remember to add your start date to your calendar for reminders, you don’t want to turn up on a wrong day (it has happened before).

3. Job title and description

This is very important to note. Make sure the job title on the offer letter accurately reflects the position you’re agreed upon – remember this could be on your CV and LinkedIn profile for a long time. If it’s a manager position, for example, your title should reflect that and doesn’t just call you a specialist. It’s also important to be clear about your responsibilities at the new job. Of course, things may change and evolve, but it is always good to know what’s expected of you.

4. Place of work

Pay attention to the office address given. Make sure you know if you’ll be required to move around, reimbursed for travel costs, and able to work remotely.

5. Salary and other perks

This is probably the most important to you. First thing is to check how much your net (take-home) salary is, your take-home is the amount that is paid to your account at the end of the month exclusive of tax, pension, and other deductibles, If you want to negotiate your salary, now is the time to do it; you should also ask about other perks in the form of bonuses, allowances and other benefits that comes with the job.

6. Work hours

Your offer letter should show clearly your expected hours of work, overtime payment (and how much you’ll be paid) whether or not your work hours are flexible. Do not be shy to point out anything you’ve agreed verbally with your employer but it’s not in your letter, ask them to put it in so that there’s proper documentation.

7. Probation Period

For most full-time roles, there is usually a probation period (typically one to three months) during which you’re not yet a permanent employee. You’ll most likely be reviewed based on your performance till the specified date and told whether you can stay at the end of that period – so you may want to put extra effort into impressing your employer during that time.

8. Leave

This part of the offer letter should contain how many leave days you’re entitled to, how far in advance you have to request it, whether it is paid or not, and whether you can carry your leave days across years. This section should also include a provision for sick leave for when you are sick or incapacitated. It is important to take note of this information, so there are no surprises down the line.

9. Pension

Your offer letter should provide brief information about your pension payments – this can be out of your salary or through your employer’s contribution. If you can’t find this, ask the employer for some details on your pension, note that it is likely that the full information will be shared during induction.

10. Termination

While you’re hopefully not thinking about leaving your job before you’ve even started, your contract does provide all the information about how to do so. Typically, it will list what kind of notice is required (usually written) and when (usually with one to three months’ notice). Worth noting!

11. Privacy and Non-competing Clauses

Every company usually has policies around how company data is used and shared, even after you have left. In particular, check whether the offer letter includes clauses that may restrict your employment by competitor companies after you leave. If you have any concerns, check the Nigerian Labour Law.

When you are done reading through the offer letter and are satisfied you have all the information you need, go ahead and sign. Congratulations again and good luck with your new job – we are rooting for you.

https://blog.talentup.africa/before-accepting-a-job-offer/

source http://www.nairaland.com/6513692/before-sign-offer-letter-part