How to use it
- 1Enter your company name, address and logo once. They are saved on your device for next time, and so is your Labour Identification Number (LIN).
- 2Fill in the employee's name, father's or mother's name and date of birth. Add the Aadhaar number only if the employee agrees, and the UAN or ESI number if they already have one.
- 3Enter the designation, the category of skill, the date of joining and the date the term ends. The length of the term is worked out for you.
- 4Enter basic pay and dearness allowance, then each allowance on its own line. Keep them in line with what permanent staff doing the same work get.
- 5Check the preview, press Download PDF / Print, and give the employee one signed copy. Keep the copy they sign and return.
Fixed Term Appointment Letter – a filled-in sample
Made with the tool above from made-up details: every name and number in it is invented. Press “See a filled-in example” in the tool to open it there and download it.
What this letter adds to an ordinary appointment letter
The sixteen particulars are the same for every employee. For fixed term employment the letter also:
- shows the type of employment as fixed term, with the date it ends
- gives the start and end dates and the length of the term
- states that hours, wages, allowances and benefits are not less than a permanent employee’s
- states that statutory benefits come in proportion to the period of service
- states that gratuity is payable on a pro rata basis under section 53 of the Code on Social Security, 2020
- says the employment ends on the end date unless it is extended in writing
Keep the pay comparable
The Codes compare a fixed term employee with a permanent employee doing the same or similar work. If you have no permanent employee in that role, keep a note of how you set the pay, in case the comparison is ever questioned.
At the end of the term
Plan the settlement before the last day: wages, leave, pro rata gratuity and anything else due. The full and final settlement, relieving letter and experience letter close the file. For permanent staff, use the regular appointment letter.
Sources
- Industrial Relations Code, 2020, section 2(o), and Code on Social Security, 2020, sections 2(34) and 53, as published in the Gazette of India
- Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020, section 6(1)(f), and rule 6 of the OSH (Central) Rules, 2026
Questions people ask
What is fixed term employment under the labour codes?
Section 2(o) of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 defines it as the engagement of a worker on the basis of a written contract of employment for a fixed period, and section 2(34) of the Code on Social Security, 2020 defines it the same way for an employee. Both attach conditions: hours of work, wages, allowances and other benefits not less than those of a permanent worker doing the same or similar work, and statutory benefits in proportion to the period of service, even if the term is shorter than the qualifying period a law requires.
Do fixed term employees get the same pay as permanent staff?
Not less than it. Both Codes say a fixed term employee's hours of work, wages, allowances and other benefits shall not be less than those of a permanent employee doing the same work or work of a similar nature. The letter states this in so many words, so enter pay that matches.
Do fixed term employees get gratuity?
Yes. Section 53 of the Code on Social Security, 2020 makes gratuity payable on the termination of the contract period under fixed term employment, says the usual five years of continuous service is not needed when employment ends because the fixed term expires, and says gratuity for a fixed term employee is paid on a pro rata basis. Section 2(o) of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 adds that a fixed term worker is eligible for gratuity if they render service under the contract for a period of one year. For a term shorter than a year, take advice on how the two provisions apply to you.
Is an appointment letter required for a fixed term employee?
Yes. Section 6(1)(f) of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 requires a letter of appointment for every employee, and the format in rule 6 of the OSH (Central) Rules, 2026 has a row for the type of employment, which here reads 'Fixed-term employment' with the date it ends. This format prints all sixteen particulars in the prescribed order.
What happens when the term ends?
The letter says the employment ends on the end date unless it is extended in writing. If you extend it, put the new end date in writing before the old one passes. When it ends, settle the dues, including pro rata gratuity, and issue the relieving and experience letters.
We are a private business. Do the Central Rules apply to us?
The duty to issue an appointment letter comes from the Code itself and applies to every establishment it covers. The format in rule 6 of the Central Rules applies directly where the Central Government is the appropriate government; for most private businesses the State Government is, and the state's own OSH rules prescribe the form. States are following the same particulars, but check the rules notified for your state.
Can I download this fixed term appointment letter in Word?
Yes. Press Word (.docx) above the preview. The file is laid out like the PDF and every word and figure can be edited. It is a standard .docx file, the format used by Microsoft Word, Google Docs, WPS Office and LibreOffice. Press it with an empty form for a blank fixed term appointment letter in Word.
Can the letter be in Hindi?
Yes. Switch Document language to हिंदी above the preview and the whole letter, including the sixteen particulars and the fixed-term paragraph, is in Hindi.
Is there a blank format?
Yes. Press 'Blank format' to print the letter with the sixteen rows and the dates empty, to fill by hand, or use the blank PDF and Word files linked at the top of this page.
Last reviewed: 14 October 2026