Business Writing for Offices
A comprehensive guide of examples from 12 years of official communication
Everyone, whether or not they work in an office, requires business writing at some point in their lives. We write applications to the government organization for our different tasks. The well-written communication will attract the authorities and will priorities the request/assignment. In the public offices, where most of the applications are rejected, I’ve hundreds of examples of my writing, where quick action was taken.
The tutorial’s main focus is on my official communication between offices over the last 12 years. I’ve included the exact communication, with minor modifications to obscure the message and destination. In this tutorial, I attempted to prevent my reader from making the same mistakes that I have made over the last 12 years.
To keep the tutorial short, I’m not going to discuss — what business writing means? or the types in which it is divided. In fact, you are not going to appear in a test where you have to answer these questions. If you are reading it for that purpose, then defiantly you landed at the wrong place. Therefore, it directly jumps to the writing examples. However, it specifies the difference between official communication as letters, orders, memorandums and applications etc.
Level of official communication
The level of communication is divided into the following four categories;
Downward Communication
Downward communication is a type of official communication in which information is passed down from the highest level of the hierarchy, the management level, to the lower levels of the official system. The downward communication includes the orders, directions, memos etc.
Upward Communication
As the names suggest, when information is sent from the lower levels of the subordinate level to the top level or management level of an organization. The upwards communications include the reports and requests etc.
Horizontal or Lateral Communication
Horizontal or lateral communication methods are official communication tactics used when information is exchanged inside or between coworkers or colleagues. The information is kept within the same official hierarchy level.
Diagonal or Crosswise Communication
This type of communication takes place when the employees of different levels of the official hierarchy communicate with different departments of the same office or organization. This type of communication is not limited to any department. It is inclusive of all levels.
Types of official communication
The types of official communications depend on the department, however, the most used types are discussed below with examples. Other than the discussed below, it may also have welcome letters, Request letters, Announcement letters, Sales letters, Thank you letters, Feedback letters, Apology letters etc. In the following examples, I’m using references no for communication no. You should use it according to your department's requirements.
Cover letters
The cover letter, as the name shows is sent with an attachment. It may be a job application including the detailed documents or a letter sent to any office including the detail of the attachment. In the example below, a detailed file is forwarded to the higher authority with one cover letter.
Letters of recommendation
A letter of recommendation is written on another professional’s behalf to vouch for their qualifications and work ethic. A letter of recommendation can help you get a job, go to college, or pursue another professional opportunity. Recommendations are usually written by coworkers, supervisors, mentors or teachers.
Suspension orders
Suspension orders are used in a public organization to temporarily suspend the services of any employee until investigations are finalized. Make sure you’re using an office notepad, so the address is clear and looks professional.
Termination letters
Termination letters are issued to dismiss the services of any employee from the organization after a detailed investigation. Termination letters need a detailed inquiry, as the code suggests. The example below shows a letter terminating the employee’s services.
Offer letters
An offer letter is a formal letter that describes the specific terms of a job offer or admission. The offer letter is signed to acknowledge acceptance of the terms and conditions. A sample offer letter is shown in the figure below. The candidate agreement and signature are covered in the section below.
Office Orders
Officer orders are used to convey the official orders to the employees. The office order is the department/organizational internal direction for employees. The example below shows an internal order for implementing WhatsApp groups for parents in public schools.
Inquiries Orders
Inquiries orders are used to inquire about some specific matters. Usually, an inquiry committee is constituted to investigate the matter. The example below explains how to form an inquiry committee to look into the situation
Letters of appriaciation
Employee appreciation letters are sent to employees to express gratitude for their efforts. Appreciation letters are written in response to noteworthy events or exceptional performances. The example below shows an appreciation letter to a teacher.
Office memorandum
An office memorandum, also known as a business memo, is a brief but formal document that is used to communicate an organization and its employees. Memos that are effective are short and easy to read. The document is primarily intended for internal use, such as announcements etc.
Circular
Circulars are similar to memos, except they are designed for mass distribution, whereas memos are intended for a small number of people or for a specific department. Circular refers to both employees and the public.
Letters of resignation
A resignation letter notifies your employer of your intention to resign. It includes the date and reason for resignation. Most of the departments need the employee's resignation about a month ago before leaving. Therefore, resign according to your department's rules and regulations.
Complaint letters
The public sends complaints when they are dissatisfied with the office’s services. There are a lot of complaints at the government office. As a result, the complaint must be properly stated in the application; otherwise, it will be rejected.
Reports
Any unexpected events are reported to higher authorities in the form of reports. Reports might be self-initiated, or higher authorities can ask that any incident or progress be reported. A report is shown in the example below.
Meeting minutes
The official meeting’s discussion and agreement points are provided first so that the official can arrive prepared for the meeting. Below is an example of meeting minutes.
Authority letter
Authority letters are used to delegate authority to someone instead of physically visiting an office. An authority letter, in which a student authorises anyone else to receive his university degree, looks like this.
Service’s certificates
Services certificates are needed for promotion, transfer or NOC etc. The commonly required services certificates are No demand, No audit para, No punishment and service certificate etc. Their templates are shown below.
Instructions letters
Employees are given specific instructions in the form of instructional letters. Within the organization’s employees, this sort of communication is used. An example of an instruction letter to school teachers is shown below.
Public Notice
The purpose of a public notice is to convey a specific message to the general public. This is how public-sector offices communicate special messages to the general public. If, for example, the interview is cancelled, the cancellation is communicated through a public notification.
Request letter
Request letters are written to request something from the office. The general public also uses the request letter to communicate their demands to government entities.
Affidavit
An affidavit is a written declaration by a person that is vowed to be true. It is an oath that the person who speaks is telling the truth. To prove the truthfulness of a statement, an affidavit is employed in connection with witness statements.
No Objection Certificate (NOC)
In public organizations, NOC is necessary for any action, or move to be taken by the employee. The example below shows how departmental permission is granted to apply for another department.
Apology letter
“To err is human”. We make mistakes, however, in organizations, mistakes are not accepted and an apology letter may be required. The following is an example of an apology letter.
The aforementioned modes of communication are the most widely employed in public offices, but they are certainly not limited. This guide, on the other hand, will assist you in writing any form of office communication. The next part of this series will look at how to draught efficient official correspondence.
