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New York Employment Offer Letter Template

New York front-loads its hiring rules. Employers with four or more employees must advertise a good-faith pay range, salary-history questions are off limits, and every new hire needs a written wage notice with a signed acknowledgment. Pair your offer letter with that notice and make sure leave terms reflect the state's required sick leave and paid prenatal leave.

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New York rules to know

  • Post pay ranges for job openings

    Employers with four or more employees must include a good-faith pay range and job description in ads for jobs, promotions, and transfers performed at least partly in New York or reporting to a New York supervisor. New York City has a similar local rule.

    N.Y. Labor Law Sec. 194-b; NYC Admin. Code Sec. 8-107(32)

  • Give the written wage notice at hire

    At hiring, you must give a written notice of pay rate, overtime rate, allowances, regular payday, and employer details in English and the employee's primary language (if a state template exists). Get a signed acknowledgment and keep it for six years.

    N.Y. Labor Law Sec. 195(1)

  • Do not ask about salary history

    Employers may not ask applicants or current employees about past pay or rely on it to set pay or decide whether to hire. You may discuss the candidate's pay expectations, and a candidate may volunteer history to negotiate.

    N.Y. Labor Law Sec. 194-a

  • Paid sick and prenatal leave apply

    All private employers must provide sick leave: up to 40 hours (paid if 5-99 employees or high net income) or 56 paid hours for 100+ employees. Since January 1, 2025, employees also get 20 hours of paid prenatal leave. Final wages are due by the next regular payday.

    N.Y. Labor Law Sec. 196-b; N.Y. Labor Law Sec. 191(3)

Last updated 2026-10-05

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Our New York Employment Offer Letter template as a Word document — a general starting point you fill in yourself. Sign in free to download it.

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What a employment offer letter covers

  • Position, duties and reporting line
  • Salary or hourly rate and pay schedule
  • Exempt or non-exempt classification
  • Benefits and paid leave
  • At-will employment statement
  • Contingencies (background check, I-9)
  • Confidentiality and invention assignment

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Frequently asked questions

What must the New York wage notice at hire include?
At hiring, give a written notice of the pay rate, overtime rate, allowances, regular payday and employer details, in English and the employee's primary language if a state template exists. Get a signed acknowledgment and keep it for six years. Your offer letter's pay terms should match this notice.
Can I ask a New York candidate what they earned at their last job?
No. New York employers may not ask applicants or current employees about past pay or rely on it to set pay or decide whether to hire. You may discuss the candidate's pay expectations, and a candidate may volunteer their history to negotiate a better offer.
What sick and prenatal leave should a New York offer letter reflect?
All private employers must provide sick leave: up to 40 hours, paid if you have 5 to 99 employees or high net income, or 56 paid hours with 100 or more employees. Since January 1, 2025, employees also get 20 hours of paid prenatal leave on top of sick leave.
Is an offer letter a binding contract?
It can be. Promises about pay, bonuses or job security in an offer letter can be enforced, so wording matters — especially the at-will statement.
What does at-will employment mean?
Either side can end the employment at any time for any lawful reason. Most states default to at-will, but an offer letter that promises a fixed term or termination only for cause can change that.
Does the offer letter need to state the pay range?
A growing number of states and cities require pay ranges in job postings or on request. Check your state's pay-transparency law before you post or extend an offer.

Employment Offer Letter in other states

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