Signing a letter on behalf of your boss isn’t necessarily common. That doesn’t mean it can’t happen, though, and it’s important to know how to do it correctly. This article will explore some of the best ways to get it right.
1. Signing A Letter Using P.P. (Per Procurationem)
One of the best ways to sign on behalf of your boss is by using p.p. (per procurationem). Legally speaking, it’s the best way to secure yourself to make sure that nothing happens to void the legal binding of the document or letter you send.
According to The Law Dictionary, it’s important to use per procruationem when signing on your employer’s behalf. Procuration is the official term for signing for somebody else, and we use it to show that we’re signing a letter on behalf of somebody else.
As we mentioned in the introduction, it’s not necessarily common that you’ll have to do this. You’ll find it likely that your boss asks you to do this when they’re indisposed or too busy to handle it for themselves.
For their most official documents, you probably won’t have to worry at all. Most bosses will be dealing with these themselves without risking anyone else signing for them.
Here’s what a sample of using p.p. would look like:
- Dear Company,
- I am writing this letter to inform you of a few legal changes we’ve had to make for the following documentation.
- Kind regards,
- p.p. Employee’s signature
- Mr. John Walker, Chief Executive Officer
- Dear Company,
- We are writing this to inform you that you need to update your terms. It’s important that we’re all on the same page with this.
- Kindest regards,
- Mr. John Walker, Chief Executive Officer
- p.p. Employee’s signature.
We can include “p.p.” either directly after or before the name of our boss. As long as the boss’s name is mentioned at some point, we can use per procurationem correctly.
2. Signing For Your Boss Using Slash Initials
The next way to sign for your boss is to use slash initials. These are simply initials that you include next to your boss’s name (with a slash separating the two entities).
This will show the reader that your boss is the one instructing or informing the letter, but you are the one signing it. You must include your initials to show that it’s you that the letter has come from, even though it’s your boss’s words that they are reading about.
While this isn’t as legally effective as using p.p., it’s still a very suitable choice. In less binding documents or letters, you could have a very good time using one like this.
- Dear Company,
- I hope you are well, and I would like to find out whether there are any new stock items that we would be able to start selling from you.
- Kindest regards,
- Mr. Wallace Smirthen, CEO / A.A.
- Dear Company,
- I am writing to find out whether there is anything you’d like to change about this contract. We feel like we could sort you out with a better deal.
- Best wishes,
- Mrs. Sandra Connor, Head of Accounting / B.N
As you can see, it’s possible to include your initials directly after your boss’s name. This is a good choice when you don’t have to worry too much about the contents of the letter because there is nothing legally binding to note within it.
3. Sign On Behalf Of Your Boss Using Symbol F
We can also use the simple letter “F” at the end of a letter. This is another great way to sign for your boss, and it shows that they have had a hand in the delivery or content of the letter.
Your boss could be busy for a number of reasons, and you never know when you might have to sign on their behalf. It’s important to make sure you have a good grasp of all the possible ways you can sign for them.
Using the symbol “F” to sign your boss’s name is probably the least common option on this list. It’s not often that we’ll use it in this way because a lot of people don’t understand why you need to use “F.”
After all, “F” is only short for “for.” Since “for” is already a short word (three letters long), it doesn’t make much sense to shorten it any further.
Nevertheless, it still works like this:
- Dear Company,
- Is there any way we can get to the bottom of this problem without having to mess around with the legal team?
- Thank you for your cooperation.
- Jonathan Woodley
- F: Mr. Barry White, CEO
- Dear Company,
- I would like to run by you some of the new policies we have in place. We hope that you can learn from them.
- Kind regards,
- Melissa Peterson
- F: Mrs. Taylor Querty, CEO
4. Power of Attorney
Power of attorney is a very popular choice in business formats. This allows us to essentially take complete control of signing a document or letter, which briefly gives us all the powers that our boss would have had they signed the letter.
According to Legal Zoom, power of attorney (POA) is a document used to allow one person (an employee) to sign for somebody else with all the executive powers (the employer).
Whenever a POA is in place in a letter format, the boss’s name should come first. The employee’s name would always come after it, though, which shows that they are adopting all the legal and executive powers of the boss (had they been the ones to sign).
This is a very common way to sign letters for other people. It’s one of the most widely used forms, and it’s recognized as a legally binding document even if your boss isn’t the one giving the direct order.
- Dear Company,
- I hope this letter finds you well. We would like to discuss taking this contract to the next stages, but we do not want to hurry you along.
- Let us know when you have time to discuss these matters,
- Kind regards,
- Mr. Clark Harrison, CEO by
- Paul Rutherford, POA
- Dear Company,
- We would like to discuss some amendments to this contractual practice. Please let us know when suits you to set up a meeting.
- Kindest regards,
- Mrs. Hannah Knight, CEO
- by
- Jessica Simpson, Power of attorney
We have included two different letter closings to show you the best way to use power of attorney. We should always sign the boss’s name first, followed by our name after doing so.
It’s also important to include the word “by” before writing our name. “By” can come on the same line of your boss’s name or on its own separate line.
Finally, you also need to include either “POA” or “power of attorney” after your name. This will let the reader know that you have all the control or power over signing this letter.
5. “On Behalf Of”
A simpler way to show that you’re writing on behalf of your boss is to use “on behalf of” in the signature section. Once you’ve finished the rest of the letter, it could be useful to remember to include their name after yours and separate it with this phrase.
Common letter signings with this form will look like this:
- (Your name) on behalf of (your boss’s name)
This way, you’re making it clear who is writing the letter while also showing that your boss had a part to play in its delivery.
- Dear Company,
- I am writing to check whether you have anything important to amend about our agreement. Please let us know as soon as possible.
- Kind regards,
- Michael Tonage, on behalf of Mr. Pete Beckett, CEO
- Dear Company,
- I am writing to find out whether there’s anything we can do to change your minds about the contract.
- Please reply when you can,
- Sarah Walker, on behalf of Mrs. Charlotte White, Head of Finance
Is It Legally Binding To Sign A Letter On Behalf Of Your Boss?
Just because you’re signing on behalf of your boss doesn’t mean that the letter doesn’t still have power. Power of attorney signatures and p.p signings are always legally binding (if you’re sending a legal letter).
A letter signed on behalf of your boss is still legally binding. As you’ll remember from earlier in the article, the Law Dictionary recommends using p.p. when signing legal documents for somebody else. POA can also be used when taking executive powers from your boss.
Technically speaking, POA gives you the most power when it comes to legally binding letters. It works well because it shows that you have all the necessary powers that your boss would have had.
So, a POA letter from you would have the same effect as if it were from your boss. There is no differentiation between the two in a courtroom, which shows they are legally binding.
As long as you use one of the correct forms to make sure you’ve signed correctly, the letter is legally binding. It will still follow all the same protocols that it would have followed if your boss had signed the letter.
You may also like: 8 Ways To Send An Email On Behalf Of Your Boss (+ Samples)
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
