At the point of first appointment, every employee is supposed to be given a letter of appointment. The appointment letter however, has to be detailed and indicate some very vital information especially for the employee.
Some of the important information that a letter of appointment needs to indicate include as follows…
1. Reference Number
The reference number is a unique identifier assigned to any formal communication or transactions. This helps the organization and/or institutions to take proper records and database associated with letters and other official documents.
2. Date of issuance of the letter
For any letter to be considered valid and authentic, it should be dated and also correspond to the time is received.
3. Appointing Authority
In every formal written document or communication, it is very necessary to provide authorization as regards the institution, agency, organization, company etc. is concerned. Usually, you will find that such letters contain the letterhead of the organization and agency. This helps to ascertain the authenticity of the letter. In the case of the Ghana Education Service, you will always find it's letterhead on all documents from their outfit.
4. Position to be appointed to
In every organization, there are various ranks and grades that every employee occupies. Some of the factors that determine one's position include one's qualification and expertise, work experience and sometimes the vacancies available at the workplace or institutions at the point of recruitment.
5. Effective date of appointment
Whenever you are given an appointment letter, one important thing to look out for is the date the appointment takes effect. The effective date will determine when you're to start work and when your employer will start paying you. For instance, when you're issued with a letter of appointment, dated 10th November, the appointment is likely to take effect from the 1st of December. This implies that, the Controller and Accountant General, will process your salary beginning from 1st December but not in November.
6. Probation period
Probation period may be referred to as the trial period for a newly recruited employee. The probation period usually lasts for about three months, six months or one year. After which your employer having accessed you will decide whether to continue to engage you or otherwise.
7. Job description
This is often a written narrative that describes the general task or other related duties and responsibilities of your position. Usually, personnel of the Ghana Education Service are recruited either as teaching staff or non-teaching staff. Depending on which category you belong, you job description will surely be stated in your letter of appointment.
8. Salary scale
Salary scales are the range of wages you pay an employee in a particular job. Salary scales mostly are calculated with considerations to various factors. Pay grade is a unit in system of monetary compensation for employment. Pay grade is most commonly used in both the civil and public service.
9. Conditions of work
Conditions of work for an employee are the rules, requirements, policies an employer and employee agree to abide by during the employee's service to the institutions or company.
10. Benefits and entitlements
With every job, there are specific and peculiar benefits, privileges and entitlements that the employee enjoys. These benefits can either be during the period of service and/or after work benefits.
Also on first appointment, an employee shall within the period of first month be required to complete a personal record form with a usually with a passport picture affixed detailing the following information.
1. Full name
2. National identification number
3. SSNIT Number
4. Date of birth
5. Sex
6. Hometown
7. E-mail address
8. Postal and Residential address
9. Previous employer (if any)
10. Educational background and qualification
11. Marital status
12. Next-of-kin
13. Any other information
This information about employees is very important to every employer in order to be able to trace and do the necessary background checks of their employees as in when the need arises. What you need to note is that, employees should always provide the right information and also be consistent to prevent any form of mismatch whatsoever.
By Nukegbe (Self-Media Writer)
