Generate letters for employees
Updated in December - 2025 | Subscribe to watch greytHR how-to video
Effective communication is vital in any organization, and official letters, like appointment, confirmation, and address proof, are key to maintaining professionalism. But as teams grow, manually creating and managing these documents becomes time-consuming and error-prone.
greytHR’s Letter module streamlines formal communication by automating the creation and distribution of official letters—helping HR teams save time, minimize manual effort, and ensure consistent tone and formatting.
Benefits of the greytHR Letter module
No more repetitive work: You can create multiple letters at once, saving time.
Faster process: The letter templates have to be set up once, and the same can be used while generating letters
Easy access for employees: Once uploaded, employees can view and download their letters anytime from the ESS portal.
Setting up the Letter module in greytHR
Using the greytHR Letter module involves:
Configure Letter Options and Signatories
Create Letter Templates
Letter Generation
Letter Approval by the Authorised Signatory
Publish Letter
Configure letter options and signatories
Before generating the letter, you need to first create letter options and add authorised signatories.
Create letter options
To create a letter template, from your greytHR Admin portal, go to Settings > System Settings > Letter > Letter Options.
Customise elements like date formats, headers, and footers.
Add placeholders for employee-specific details such as name, designation, and salary, and save it.
Add authorised signatures in letters
Authorised signatories are those who can officially sign letters, such as HR managers or the CEO.
Integrating digital signatures into the Letters module ensures documents are authentic, secure, and legally compliant, while keeping the process smooth and easy for an admin.
To add the authorised signatories, from the System Settings page, go to Letter > Letter Authorized Signatory.
Click + Add Signatory.
In the Search Employee field, choose the employee who will act as the authorised signatory. The details of the employee get auto-filled, however, you can edit the details if a different employee should handle the mandatory signatory approval.
In the Email ID field, enter the email ID where all the emails with respect to the letter actions should be sent.
Enable the Active checkbox to enable the signature.
Upload the Image Signature from your system.
Upload the Digital Signature Certificate (.pfx) file.
Create a letter template
You can create a letter template based on the organisational requirements.
From the gerytHR Admin portal, hover over the 9 dots and select Employee > Setup > Letter Template.
Under the Letter Template tab, you will be able to view the list of Template Names, if the templates are enabled.
You can also edit or modify the letter template by clicking on the Edit option.
You can delete any letter template by clicking on the delete option. Although the letter template will be removed, the letters generated previously using the template will remain, and you can recreate the template whenever required.
Under the Template Gallery tab, you can view the list of all other available templates.
To add any template from here, click on Preview Template > Add to My Templates > Confirm.
Once added, go to the Letter Template tab and use the search field to get the added template.
Click the Edit icon and customize the letter configuration.
If you want to add a new template, click New Letter Template.
General Information
In the Title field, enter the name of the letter. If you have selected any template, then it will automatically appear.
From the Select Owners list, choose the employee(s) who can access the particular letter template.
From the Enforce Letter to Employee list, select the required option.
In the Letter Number Series field, you can select the series from the drop-down list or create the series using the + icon.
Select the Mail Template as required.
You can enable the Password Protection for Letter Attachments option to secure the letter with a password.
Select the Enable Digital Signature (PFX Certificate Based) checkbox if a digital signature is required for this letter template.
Under Custom Fields, you can double-click any column to edit the field name or value.
You can also enable or disable the Required and Allow Employee Edit checkboxes as needed. If a field is no longer required, you can delete it using the delete option.
Click Next.
Upload Template
In this step, you will get to view the detailed instructions on how to customize a letter template.
Click the Upload file option to upload the letter template. If the uploaded file has any errors, an error message will appear, and you can click the Download Report option to check the errors
If you add a template from the Template Gallery, the letter’s .odt file will be attached by default. If you need to make changes, download the file, update it as required, and then re-upload it.
Click Next.
Workflow Setup
Under Workflow Setup, you can choose if employees can request for this particular letter.
Select the reviewer level(s) and choose the approver for each level. You can select up to 3 levels of reviewers.
You can also enable the Auto Forward option if required.
Click Finish to create the letter template.
Letter Generation
To generate a letter, go to Employee > Admin > Generate Letter.
General
Click Prepare A Letter. Select the letter template.
From the Approval Type dropdown, select the required option.
You can also add Remarks if needed and click Next.
Select Employees
In the Authorised Signatory/Approver field, select the required approver.
Enter the purpose of generating the letter in the Purpose field.
You can generate the letter for single/multiple employees.
For multiple employees, select the Employee Filter and add or search the names of the employees.
For a single employee, choose the Employee Type and search for the employee’s name.
Click Next.
Preview
Preview the letter and click Send for Approval.
Once done, the generated letter will move under the In Progress tab in the Generate Letter page.
If you have generated the letter for multiple employees, then you can expand the batch ID to view the details.
You can also choose to send a reminder email to the approver/authorised signatory by clicking on the bell icon.
You can customize the list by using the Columns and Filters as per your preference.
Info: The authorised signatory/approver needs to approve the letter before it can be released to the employees.
Note: Sample letter preview and download are hidden by default for employees while raising the letter request. Admins can re-enable the preview option by disabling the feature Restrict Sample Letter Preview for New Letter Requests from the User Roles page under Settings.
Letter approval by the authorised signatory
The authorised signatory must log in to the ESS portal.
On the Home page, in the Review widget, they can see a card as Letter Signature Approval.
Alternatively, they can go to To Do > Review > Letter > Letter Signature Approval.
Under the Active tab, all the pending approval requests are displayed. Click View Details.
If the approval type is mentioned as With PFX Certificate, then the approver needs to have the PFX password that is only shared with the approver to accept the approval request.
To reject the request, the approver must enter the Remarks and confirm.
Click Accept & Sign, enter the PFX Password, and click Confirm.
If the approval type is mentioned as With Image Signature, then the approver just needs to accept/reject the approval request.
The letter will be approved and moved to the Closed tab.
Note: If a letter is rejected, as an admin, you cannot make any changes to the action taken.
Publish letters to employees
After the authorised signatory has approved the letter, as an admin, you can release the letters to the employees.
From the greytHR Admin portal, go to Employee > Admin > Generate Letter.
Under the Actions tab, click Release Letter.
Select the checkbox and click the Publish button to publish the letter on the employee’s ESS portal.
If you want the employee to acknowledge the letter, click the Require Employee Acceptance checkbox.
To send a letter via email, select the checkbox for Send as an Email Attachment.
Choose whom you want to send the letter generated via email. You can choose Employee, Manager, and Others as required.
Click Confirm.
Note: From the Completed tab, you can unpublish, delete, download or export the letter.
Info: You can also explore different scenarios and templates for generating letters such as appointment letter, confirmation letter, or experience letter for your employees using the Letter module in greytHR.
Letters: Frequently Asked Questions
What are the primary benefits of using the Letter module?
The Letter module in greytHR helps HR teams create, approve, and distribute official employee letters such as appointment letters, confirmation letters, address proof, and experience letters. It automates the entire process to save time, reduce manual errors, and maintain consistency in communication.
What are the key benefits of using the Letter module?
The Letter module offers several benefits:
Allows bulk generation of letters, reducing repetitive work
Requires one-time setup of templates for faster processing
Ensures consistent tone and formatting across all letters
Enables employees to view and download letters anytime from the ESS portal
What steps are involved in setting up the Letter module?
Using the Letter module involves:
Configuring letter options and authorised signatories
Creating letter templates
Generating letters
Getting approval from the authorised signatory
Publishing letters to employees
How does an admin set up authorised signatories for official letters?
To add the authorised signatories, from the System Settings page, go to Letter > Letter Authorized Signatory.
Click + Add Signatory.
In the Search Employee field, choose the employee who will act as the authorised signatory. The details of the employee get auto-filled, however, you can edit the details if a different employee should handle the mandatory signatory approval.
In the Email ID field, enter the email ID where the emails with respect to the letter actions should be sent.
Enable the Active checkbox to enable the signature.
Upload the Image Signature from your system.
Upload the Digital Signature Certificate (.pfx) file.
What is a (.pfx) certificate, and where does an admin get it?
A .pfx certificate is an encrypted file used for secure digital signatures. greytHR does not provide this certificate; it must be obtained from a certified authority. It is password-protected and unique to the authorised signatory.
Can admins use pre-existing templates instead of creating a new template?
Yes. Under Employee > Setup > Letter Template, go to the Template Gallery tab.
You can preview available templates and click Add to My Templates to customize them for your organization.
How can admins protect sensitive letters (like salary increments)?
During the template creation step (General Information), you can enable the Password Protection for Letter Attachments option to ensure only the intended recipient can open the file.
Can admins generate a single letter for multiple employees at once?
Yes. During the Generate Letter process, you can use the Employee Filter to select multiple names. The system will create a batch ID that you can expand to view individual details.
How does an authorised signatory sign a letter?
The authorised signatory need to log in to the ESS portal.
On the Home page, in the Review widget, they can see a card as Letter Signature Approval.
Alternatively, they can go to To Do > Review > Letter > Letter Signature Approval.
Under the Active tab, all the pending approval requests are displayed. Click View Details.
If the approval type is mentioned as With PFX Certificate, then the approver needs to have the PFX password that is only shared with the approver to accept the approval request.
Click Accept & Sign, enter the PFX Password, and click Confirm.
To reject the request, the approver must enter the Remarks and confirm.
If the approval type is mentioned as With Image Signature, then the approver just needs to accept/reject the approval request.
The letter will be approved and moved to the Closed tab.
What happens if a letter is rejected by the signatory?
If a letter is rejected, the admin cannot make changes to that specific action. You would likely need to address the reason for rejection and restart the generation process.
How do employees receive their letters once approved?
After the authorised signatory has approved the letter, as an admin, you can release the letters to the employees.
From the greytHR Admin portal, go to Employee > Admin > Generate Letter.
Under the Actions tab, click Release Letter.
Select the checkbox and click the Publish button to publish the letter on the employee’s ESS portal.
If you want the employee to acknowledge the letter, click the Require Employee Acceptance checkbox.
To send a letter via email, select the checkbox for Send as an Email Attachment.
Choose whom you want to send the letter generated via email. You can choose Employee, Manager, and Others as required.
Click Confirm.
If a letter template is deleted, will previously generated letters be lost?
No. While the template is removed, all letters previously generated using that template will remain in the system records.
Can admins undo a letter publication?
Yes. From the Completed tab in the Generate Letter page, you have the option to unpublish, delete, download, or export the letter.
How can I download a letter after it is generated?
From the Generate Letter page:
Search for the employee using the Search box.
Click the Download button to save the letter to your device.
Alternatively, you can download the letter while generating the letter. Click Download all to download the letter.
Can letters require employee acknowledgement?
Yes, letters can require employee acknowledgement, based on your requirements. If you want the employee to acknowledge the letter, click the Require Employee Acceptance checkbox while publishing or sending the letter via email.
Where can I find scenarios and templates for different types of letters?
You can explore different scenarios and templates for generating letters, such as an appointment letter, a confirmation letter, or an experience letter for your employees, using the Letter module in greytHR.
Why can’t employees preview or download sample letter templates while applying for a new letter request in ESS?
By default, the system hides the sample letter preview and download options for employees to maintain confidentiality and avoid misuse of template formats before approval.
Can admins enable the preview option for employees?
Yes. Admins can re-enable the option anytime by disabling the feature Restrict Sample Letter Preview for New Letter Requests.
To re-enable the preview and download options in sample letters for employees, from the greytHR Admin portal, go to Settings > User Administration > User > User Roles.
Select the Employee user card and click Edit.
From the Category dropdown, select Letter.
Enable Read Access and Write Access for the option Restrict Sample Letter Preview for New Letter Requests, and click Save.
Does this restriction apply to all types of letters?
Yes. The default restriction covers all letter templates available in ESS during the request submission stage.
Will employees be able to preview or download the letter after approval?
Yes. Once the request is approved and the final letter is generated, employees can view and download their issued letter as usual.
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