Joining date meaning: what is joining date?
Joining date meaning in India: it is the day an employee is due to start in a new job, usually after serving the notice period at the old one. It is written in your offer letter and can move if the employer and you agree, for example when your notice period at the old job runs longer.
How the joining date is set
The date is usually worked backward from your current job. Your notice period at the old employer decides the earliest day you can leave. The new employer then writes a joining date on or after that day.
- Check your notice period in your appointment letter or contract.
- Tell the new employer your last working day, once your resignation is accepted.
- Agree the joining date and confirm it in writing, in the offer letter or by email.
Can it change?
Yes, if both sides agree. Common reasons are a longer notice period, a buyout of the notice period, or the employer's own onboarding schedule. Ask for any change in writing. Do not resign before you hold a signed offer with a joining date.
What happens to pay and benefits
Pay normally starts from the joining date. Your old employer settles dues up to your last working day, and your relieving and experience letters are issued after you leave. Ask the new employer whether it will ask for them before you join.
How it shows up on LiveRec
Employers add the expected start date when they make an offer. When you reply with a counteroffer you enter a pay amount and an expected start date, so the joining date is part of the negotiation, not an afterthought.
Example
You give 60 days' notice on 1 November and your last working day is 30 December. The offer letter states a joining date of 2 January, and you ask the employer to confirm it by email.