Appointment Letters and "Workman" Status vs Italian Contracts and CCNL Levels

An Indian offer usually moves in two steps: an offer letter with the CTC, then an appointment letter on joining. In Italy there is one key document, the employment contract, and its most important line is not the salary but the CCNL and level. This guide explains why, and how the Indian worker/manager split maps onto Italian categories. For the full comparison, see Italy vs India .

India: the appointment letter is now a legal requirement  

Under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020, employers must issue an appointment letter to every employee, which is new for many establishments that used to rely on offer emails. The codes, in force since 21 November 2025, sit alongside state Shops and Establishments Acts and model standing orders.

The letter typically sets out designation, CTC breakup, probation, notice, leave by reference to HR policy, confidentiality and sometimes a bond or non-compete clause. Most of this is contractual. The law mostly fills gaps and sets floors.

India: “worker” versus manager  

The Industrial Relations Code defines a worker broadly but excludes people employed mainly in a managerial or administrative capacity, and supervisors earning above a wage limit set by the government. That matters because protections such as retrenchment compensation, standing orders and the dispute machinery apply to workers. In Indian IT, many mid-level and senior staff are treated as outside the “worker” definition, so their position is governed largely by contract.

Italy: the written contract and mandatory information  

Italian law does not prescribe a single “appointment letter” form, but the employer must give the employee written information on the essential terms. Legislative Decree 152/1997, rewritten by the Transparency Decree (Legislative Decree 104/2022), lists them: parties, place of work, job title and level, start date, contract type and duration, probation, leave, pay and its components, working hours, notice periods, the applicable CCNL and the social security bodies receiving contributions.

The contract must be in place, and the hire notified online to the labour authorities (Comunicazione obbligatoria UniLav), by the day before the employee starts.

Italy: categories and levels  

The civil code (art. 2095) divides employees into four categories:

Within each CCNL, impiegati and quadri are placed on a level (livello). The commerce CCNL, for example, runs from level 7 at the bottom to level 1 and quadro at the top, each with a minimum monthly pay. A software developer and a QA engineer may sit on different levels depending on autonomy and responsibility, not job title.

The big difference from India: there is no carve-out where a senior engineer or team lead stops being protected. Dismissal rules, working time protections (with some exceptions for managerial staff), leave and TFR apply to every impiegato and quadro. Only dirigenti have a lighter regime on dismissal, and even they are protected by their CCNL.

Level drives cost and flexibility  

Placing someone on a level is not cosmetic:

• The CCNL minimum for that level is the floor for base pay.
• Notice periods and probation length often depend on level.
• Under art. 2103 of the civil code, you can change duties within the same level and category, but you generally cannot move someone to a lower level unilaterally. Demotion is only possible in limited cases (for example a company reorganisation affecting the role) or by agreement in a protected venue.
• If an employee performs higher-level duties for a period set by the CCNL (by default three months), they can become entitled to the higher level.

So “we’ll give them a big title now and adjust later” works badly in Italy. Pick the level that matches the real job.

Fixed-term vs permanent  

Indian companies often hire on fixed-term contracts for projects. Italy allows fixed-term contracts, but under Legislative Decree 81/2015 they are capped: up to 12 months freely, extendable to 24 months in total only with a reason: one set by the applicable collective agreements, technical, organisational or production needs agreed by the parties (allowed for contracts signed by 31 December 2026, DL 95/2025), or replacement of other workers (art. 19 D.Lgs. 81/2015 as amended by DL 48/2023). There are limits on extensions and renewals and on the share of fixed-term staff, and a gap between contracts is required. For a first, long-term hire, a permanent contract (tempo indeterminato) with a probation period is usually simpler.

Things from Indian appointment letters that do not transfer  

• CTC as the headline number. Italian contracts state gross annual salary (RAL), not employer cost. See CTC vs RAL .
• Notice periods of 60–90 days for everyone. In Italy the CCNL sets notice by level and seniority.
• Training bonds and notice buyouts. These work very differently. See notice buyouts, bonds and non-compete .
• “Leave as per company policy”. Statutory and CCNL leave come first. See leave and working hours .

A practical checklist before you send an offer  

Indian hiring teams move fast, often issuing an offer within days of the final interview. In Italy, a little more preparation upfront avoids rework later:

• Write a real job description. List the main duties, the degree of autonomy, who the person reports to and whether they manage anyone. This is what decides the CCNL level.
• Agree the title separately from the level. A “Senior Software Engineer” title is fine; the level must still match the duties.
• State pay as RAL. Say whether it is paid in 13 or 14 instalments and list any bonus separately.
• Decide on probation. It must be in the signed contract before day one, within the CCNL limit.
• Confirm the place of work and hybrid arrangement. Remote or hybrid work needs a smart working agreement.
• Avoid parallel documents. A separate letter from the Indian parent with different notice, bond or bonus terms creates confusion about which terms apply, and the employee can usually rely on the more favourable one.

What this means if you hire through an EOR  

With an Employer of Record, the EOR issues the Italian contract in its own name, selects the CCNL, assigns the level based on your job description, adds the probation clause and files the hire notice before day one. You remain the company directing the work. Your job is to describe the role accurately, agree the salary and title, and avoid side letters from India that contradict the Italian contract.

Read how Italian employment contracts are structured, estimate cost with the calculator , or talk to us .

Related guides for Indian companies  

• Labour Codes vs Italian civil code and CCNL
• Termination: retrenchment vs Italian dismissal
• Gratuity vs TFR

General information, not legal advice.