If you’re looking for a second chance, you’ve come to the right place.
An appeal letter is a formal letter to submit your disagreement with a decision. It is a plea for reconsideration of a taken verdict. With an appeal letter, a person can call out injustice, raise awareness, and make amendments on behalf of a group of people. Appeal letters are used in common themes within offices, courts, businesses, and politics.
An appeal letter is a note written to someone you want to reconsider a decision they made about you. Whether you feel you weren’t properly warned about something or if you were treated unjustly, an appeal letter can be used in numerous instances.
To write an appeal letter, you need to be persuasive and firm with your words. The flow doesn't come in a day, which is why you can switch to document creation software for personalized tone assistance, choice of words, and easy-to-use templates. With built-in appeal letter template creation, addressing your concerns and stating reasons for appeal would become easier.
Let's look at the major steps to take while drafting a persuasive and action-oriented appeal letter.
Following these steps will ensure that you properly address the situation at hand and hopefully achieve your new outcome.
Writing a letter of appeal doesn’t have to be as intimidating as you think. Common instances where you may be writing an appeal letter are to appeal an admission decision or appeal a decision related to your career. These situations don’t feel good, but instead of replaying the events over and over again, you can take action by writing an appeal letter.
Most universities and companies have an appeal process in the fine print. It may take some digging, but when found, you can determine the deadline and components needed for your appeal letter.
You can also dig into HR law to figure out if what you’re appealing is cause for legal action. If you can take legal action based on your specific situation, then it’s best to involve a lawyer so that you follow all the procedures correctly.
Whether the mailing address or the email address, you need to know where you’ll be sending your letter so that it goes to the right place. The last thing you want is your letter getting into the wrong hands, or worse, not being received by anyone.
If you don’t know where you should send the letter, talk to an HR professional or an admissions counselor.
The end goal of an appeal letter is to have a decision overturned. This part of your letter gives you the chance to explain the context behind the events that occurred.
In this paragraph, it is crucial that you stick to the facts. Your case becomes much stronger when you have evidence. This can be specific emails with times and dates, policies that weren’t upheld, or other documents that will help establish what happened.
Lastly, admit any mistakes that you made. You may think it’s good to shy away from your faults, but in an appeal letter, it’s crucial to outline where you may have been wrong. Admitting to these faults may take away any grievances the recipient has about you because you’re being self-aware in addressing your wrong-doings.
When stating why the decision was not fair, maintain a calm and confident tone of voice. In most cases, you feel passionate about how you were wronged. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be writing this letter. It’s best to avoid being overly emotional.
Don’t say: I feel like your decision was made to hurt me and stunt my career growth.
Say: Your decision stunted my career growth because it went against the company value of [specific value].
Keep this section brief. State the outcome you want and the date you expect it by. An appeal letter doesn’t always have to be to overturn a decision. Instead, it can be used to add a clause to a contract.
We all know people are busy, and sometimes, you need to give the recipient an extra nudge. Kindly follow up if you have not heard back within a week. The follow-up can be via email or phone call, it doesn’t have to be as formal as the letter. Just be direct, confident, and professional.
Looking for a simple way to handle HR legalities? Check out HR compliance software to keep up-to-date with HR business regulations and compliance laws.
Let’s take a look at what your appeal letter should actually look like, plus what should be included in order to change the recipient’s mind.
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An appeal letter may or may not be outcome-based. Its word variance depends on the nature of the scenario you are operating in. The best kind of appeal is what conveys unbiased and logical reasoning. It doesn't have to be bait for sympathy or emotional teardowns, but it needs proper conditioning of your viewpoint.
Here are a couple of appeal letter samples that you can refer to before putting your appeal across to a supervisor
In a college setting, an appeal letter is constrained to scores, grading, disciplinary actions, and assignment submissions. Below is an appeal letter sample stating a revaluation of grades in the year-end semester examination.
XYZ College
Jackson, Mississippi
Subject: Appeal for re-evaluation of received grade in the second-semester exam
My name is [ABC], and I am enrolled in the [PQR] course for the year [Year Duration]. The results for the second semester were announced last week, and I received the scores for all of my appeared modules of the course. However, there is a discrepancy between the received grades and after calculation from my end.
The received grades for [course 1] were [grade 1] and [course 2] were [grade 2]. The re-valuation of scores marked an increase of [x marks] in course 1 and [y] marks in [course 2], which pushes the grade to [new grade 1] and [new grade 2]. I have attached the calculation along with this letter with added feedback for each question and justification of the new score.
With the same concern, I request the respected panel of evaluators to recheck the original grades. I would appreciate a follow-up from the academic panel or a virtual meeting to discuss the above-mentioned issue.
I hope the team will accept my request.
Roll Number: 123
Course: XYZ
In a business setting, decision-makers are known to make appeals. Be it an employee, a manager, a legal executive, or a financial executive, business appeals are submitted by everyone. It could be a plea to review company policy, optimize workload, request for a new software subscription, and so on.
Below is an example of a business appeal letter reporting a case of workplace harassment to HR.
To
HR Manager
XYZ Group of Companies
12 Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL
Subject: Raising the persistent issue of workplace harassment since [month] [year]
This is to state that my name is [Name], and I have been working on [Position] within [Department name] since [date of joining]. Since my joining, this company has been extremely placid, welcoming, and receptive to feedback. However, a few issues and disparities in workplace policies have caught my attention.
Over the last couple of months, I have come across a few instances where leaders backfired on the team. While we attend the daily meetings of our department, the center stage is always taken by the team lead. The project lead does not address our opinions, challenges, pitch ideas, or individual goal achievements but focuses on working under deadlines. The speakers are [name 1], [name 2] and [name 3]. The absence of team communication has raided the motivation of the entire department. The overall team scenario has become tense and difficult to deal with.
I believe in my company and company culture. While we need to listen to leaders, we also need to express our opinions. The opinions should not be subdued, and everyone should be given an equal chance to speak. I appeal to the HR management to highlight the issue and take action on it. I am certain that these workplace tensions can be worked upon so that we can again regain focus and work with earlier motivation.
Thank you in anticipation.
In the next example, you would see instances of appeal of an employee to the respective reporting manager for sanction of their sabbatical.
To
HR Manager
XYZ Group of Companies
12 Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL
Subject: Request for the sanction of sabbatical leave to take care of father
My name is [name] and I have been working as an associate in [department name] for [duration]. My designation has changed twice, since I got promoted twice and currently work as the [new position] in the [department name]. The above given information makes me eligible to apply for the employee benefits program. I wish to lay some reasons to avail this policy.
My father has been living in [country name] and due to [condition], he has fallen ill. The doctors have advised him complete bed rest and requested me to fly down to take care of him. Thus, I wish to appeal to our management for a sabbatical leave w.e.f [date 1] to [date 2]. As he lives alone, he will require me to take care of him and ensure he takes medicine on time.
The internet connection in that region would be weak, so I will not be able to join work from there. I hope the management addresses my concern and accepts my request.
Thank you in anticipation
The letters written to courts for legal obligations need to be moderated by an advocate or someone registered with the state bar council. The court does not entertain appeals that sound mundane or emotionally blurted. Even though a case party might submit the appeal, the court discards it.
Let's look at an example of how to write an appeal letter for court.
To
XYZ Court,
Chicago, IL
Subject: An appeal to express displeasure with the interim verdict on [X vs. Y] lawsuit filed on [Date]
This appeal letter is in consideration of the ongoing lawsuit for [X. vs. Y] where the defendant has claimed an objection to the interim verdict and submitted an application. The defendant isn't quite satisfied and claims that the decision biasedly favors the plaintiff, who hasn't shown up even once during hearing dates and gave enough excuses when asked to submit the evidentiary proof. The defendant states the following points of concern.
1. That the plaintiff has misled the court into believing that he is a victim of the charged offense.
2. The plaintiff forged company documents and signatures to present them on the defendant's behalf.
3. That neither the plaintiff's advocate nor he himself showed up for the conducted trials so far.
Based on these reasons, the defendant appeals to the honorable Judge to revise the decision and arrange the next date for the court trial. It also enforces the role of an intermediator to arbitrate the lawsuit on behalf of the plaintiff and defendant.
Enclosed is the defendant's application for your perusal.
[PQR] Legal Services
Have you ever submitted a tourist visa application and received a refusal from the immigration department? The situation can be nerve-wracking since you wouldn't know what specific part of your visa application got flagged. To apply for a visa refusal appeal, consider using the following appeal letter template:
To
Immigration Officer
XYZ High Commission,
Chicago, IL
Subject: Request to appeal for review of visa application
This appeal letter is in accordance with the recent visa application I submitted in my name, which is [name] for [visa type]. The visa application number is [application number], and the concerned signatory is [concerned signatory]. I wish to put forward some concerns regarding the decision taken by the immigration department.
To begin with, I want to address that I had submitted all the requisite documents on the visa application portal: identity proof, nationality proof, work employment proof, residential proof, salary proof, financial documents, income proof, funds proof, and visa invitation. I applied for a tourist visa from [date 1] to [date 2] to visit my sister on the occasion of her marriage. My sister is a permanent resident and a working citizen.
I have attached all the relevant documents along with the visa refusal letter for a merit review. I also wish to appeal to the immigration department to re-evaluate my application and help process my visa. My immigration history is clean, and I have already traveled to this destination a couple of times [passport stamps are attached herewith]. I am not aware of the review policy, so I request the team to guide me accordingly.
Thank you in anticipation
Visa application number:
If you are repatriating to your home country and are looking for employment, you need to file a legal appeal to the local federal entity. By doing so, you can finance yourself without taking up any odds and fund your family till you don't earn a paycheck. While you are unemployed and looking to obtain government funding, some best practices and policies need to be followed, and your appeal letter should be a testament to that.
Formatting an appeal letter with the following points in mind would strengthen your case and prioritize your file above other appealers.
The appeal letter's format and straightforward nature deliver your message to the respective recipient and urge them to reassess your situation. It backs on evidentiary proof, clear statements, and facts where you are confident that no error has occurred from your end. Appeal letters are one of the most successful types of business letter, which aims for justice, ethics, and righteous follow-up. Whether you are a student, a working professional, or a senior citizen, this conveyance works.
Another purpose of an appeal letter is to sort out legal and compliance documentation. The practice is followed by legal teams, pleaders, councilors, and the judge to ensure correct interim and final verdicts. It helps the defendant or the plaintiff to whistleblow on wrong decisions, appeal for hearings, and get another chance to take the case in your favor. Appeal letters work magically since they are written in a polite but direct manner. It is not necessary that after you submit this letter, your appeal will go through. But to save yourself from hot waters, this is one of the most effective resolutions.
When proofreading your letter of appeal, which you should be doing multiple times, make sure that these things are not included in your letter.
If you steer clear from the above points, you’ll already be on your way to achieving your desired outcome.
So you’ve been denied benefits, a raise, or an educational opportunity. Remember, people are human, just like you, and an appeal letter is one way to have that decision reconsidered. No decision is set in stone.
If you’re on the receiving end of an appeal letter, you should quickly learn how to deal with a disgruntled employee.
Deirdre O’Donoghue is a Content Manager at Nature's Fynd and a former Content Manager at G2. In her free time, you can find Deirdre fostering puppies or exploring the Chicago foodie scene. (she/her/hers)
