Accepting a job offer

What to expect

There are different ways you could receive a job offer, including:

• a verbal confirmation over the phone
• an email letting you know you were successful
• an informal handshake.

But in most cases following the acknowledgement, you'll likely be provided with a formal offer document that covers:

• terms and conditions of employment
• the official start date and expected hours of work
• any probation period
• pay and leave entitlements
• rules that may be specific to the award, enterprise agreement, employment contract, and/or workplace policies you’ve been employed under.

Read more about wage rates and awards at the Fair Work Ombudsman.

Review your offer document

It is very important that you read any offer document carefully and understand your rights and obligations before formally accepting the offer or starting work. If in doubt about anything:

• get a friend or someone more familiar with employment documents to review it too
• ask the employer or recruiter for any clarity if there is something you do not understand or want to question.

If changes are needed, review any updated version to check that the changes were added before you sign. It's a good idea to keep a copy for your own records.

Learn more about workplace rights and employee entitlements at the Fair Work Ombudsman.

If you’re on a government benefit

Any changes to your income can affect your government benefit. If you are receiving JobSeeker or other type of government payment, you'll need to let them know if you start work.

To avoid any misreporting, use your Centrelink employment diary to help track:

• your standard gross hourly pay rate
• other gross pay rates like overtime or penalty hours
• the total hours you worked at each pay rate.

Learn more about income reporting and managing your government payment at Services Australia.