Is a signed and accepted offer letter a binding legal document?
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Is a signed and accepted offer letter a binding legal document?
I was given a offer signed by my employer 2 1/2 years ago stating that “Life Insurance will be Available� along with some other benefits. I agreed and signed this offer letter and was hired on, again 2 1/2 years ago. Since then I have asked repeatedly about the life insurance and always get the
same thing – “It will be in place soon�. Is the offer letter that was signed by both my employer and myself a legal document and are they required to provide me with the life
insurance?
Asked on July 31, 2018 under Employment Labor Law, Virginia
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 6 years ago | Contributor
It would only be an enforceable contract if it was for a defined or set period of time (e.g. a one-year, three-year, etc. contract). Under "employment at will," which is the law of the land in this country, if a document does not restrain or limit the employer's ability to alter the terms of employment for a fixed period of time, the document is not a contract and does not prevent them from going back on what they promised at will.
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