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Guide: Admins Getting Started Part 20 - Letters

Daniel Norris
Updated

The Letters section in SimplyMerit allows administrators to configure, preview, and generate employee-facing adjustment letters for Salary (Merit), Bonus, Equity, and—when enabled—Enhanced Total Rewards Statements.

This article covers standard letters, Enhanced Letters, supported assets (logos and signatures), testing, and distribution behavior.

Overview: How Letters Are Designed, Built, and Distributed in SimplyMerit

Letters in SimplyMerit are intentionally flexible and are designed collaboratively to match each client’s communication goals, branding standards, and compensation processes. The process spans from early planning through final distribution and is aligned to your specific merit, bonus, equity, or total rewards cycle.

1. Letter Planning During Onboarding and Admin Training

Letter requirements are discussed early in the implementation process, typically during onboarding and admin training meetings. This allows us to understand:

  • Which letter types you plan to use (Salary, Bonus, Equity, Total Rewards)

  • Timing and sequencing of communications

  • Whether letters will be consolidated or split by adjustment type

  • Any special approval, visibility, or suppression requirements

Aligning on this upfront ensures letter development stays on track with your cycle timeline.

2. Submitting Letter Templates and Requirements

Clients provide their letter content by emailing support@simplymerit.com. The earlier this is done, the better, as letter development often runs in parallel with data validation and manager testing.

Submissions typically include:

  • Word or PDF templates

  • Company logo files

  • Finalized or draft verbiage

  • Business rules and logic requirements, for example:

    • Do not generate letters for employees without merit

    • Only show a paragraph if a bonus exists

    • Use different logos based on company_code

    • Suppress letters for excluded employees

Templates do not need to be technically formatted—SimplyMerit will translate them into system-ready letter logic.

3. Letter Development and Review Cycle

Once templates are received:

  • SimplyMerit codes the letters using HTML/Liquid logic

  • Sample PDFs are generated and shared for review

  • Clients provide feedback on layout, wording, logic, and formatting

  • Iterations continue until the letters are approved

This review cycle is collaborative and typically includes multiple rounds to ensure accuracy and alignment with expectations.

4. Letter Generation and Distribution

At the end of your compensation cycle:

  • Letters are generated directly from SimplyMerit

  • You select your preferred distribution method (download, send to managers, or send directly to employees)

  • Distribution follows approval status and configured logic

Total Rewards Statements

For Total Rewards Statements, clients may:

  • Select from an available template with minimal customization, or...

  • Request a fully custom Total Rewards template built by a SimplyMerit developer

The level of customization depends on design complexity and reporting requirements.

Future Cycles

For subsequent cycles:

  • Existing letter code can be reused with minor updates (such as dates or language tweaks), or

  • Letters can be partially or completely redesigned

The level of change is entirely client-driven.

Letter Types Available

SimplyMerit supports the following letter types:

  • Salary (Merit) Letters

  • Bonus Letters

  • Equity Letters

  • Total Rewards Statements (Enhanced Letters only)

Each letter type is managed from its own tab within Letters, using the built-in letter editor and preview panel.

(Click here to enlarge in a new tab)

Letter Editor and Preview

Each letter type uses the same editor layout:

  • Left panel: HTML/Liquid-based letter editor

  • Right panel: Live preview of the rendered letter

  • Actions:

    • Save Letter

    • Generate Test PDF

    • Choose Template (Enhanced Letters only)

The editor supports:

  • Text and formatting

  • SimplyMerit variables

  • Conditional (Boolean) logic

  • Embedded images (logo and signature)

Uploading Letter Assets (Resources Tab)

Header Image (Logo)

You may upload a header image that appears at the top of each letter—typically a company logo.

Key behavior and best practices:

  • Supported formats: .jpg, .png

  • Image is automatically centered and scaled to page width

  • A logo-only image will stretch across the page

  • Best practice size:

    • ~800 px wide

    • Logo positioned exactly where it should appear (left or right aligned within the image)

Signature Image

You may also upload a signature image, typically a scanned executive signature.

Usage notes:

  • Use white space within the image to control placement and spacing

  • Insert the signature into the letter body using:

    [[ signature ]]

Standard Letters (Enhanced Letters Disabled)

When Enhanced Letters are NOT enabled:

  • Only Salary, Bonus, and Equity letter tabs are available

  • The Total Rewards tab is hidden

  • Letters are authored entirely within the editor (no template chooser)

  • Output is traditional, text-driven adjustment letters

This is the default letter behavior for customers not using Enhanced Letters.

Enhanced Letters (System Control)

Enhanced Letters is SimplyMerit’s advanced letter generation system for producing highly formatted Total Rewards Statements and enhanced adjustment letters.

Enhanced Letters must be enabled under:

Config → System Control → Manage Letters

When enabled:

  • The Total Rewards tab becomes visible

  • Additional functionality is unlocked, including template selection and advanced formatting

Total Rewards Statements (Enhanced Letters Only)

Prebuilt Templates

SimplyMerit includes professionally designed Total Rewards Statement templates, including:

  • MorganHR Total Rewards style

  • ADP-style Total Rewards format

  • Additional layout variations

Templates include:

  • Company branding

  • Charts and graphs

  • Data tables

  • Multi-page layouts with pagination

Choosing a Template

When Enhanced Letters are enabled:

  1. Navigate to Letters → Total Rewards

  2. Click Choose Template

  3. Select a template:

    • Choose → applies the template to your editor

    • Download Sample → downloads a PDF example

The selected template becomes editable within the letter editor.

Custom Letter Development

If a company requires a fully custom Total Rewards format:

  • SimplyMerit can build a template from the ground up

  • May involve a one-time professional services fee, depending on complexity

Advanced Enhanced Letter Features

Enhanced Letters support additional capabilities beyond standard letters:

Advanced Formatting

  • Images, charts, and graphs

  • Professional table layouts

  • Multi-page document support

  • Enhanced typography and spacing controls

Tables in Standard Letters

  • Tables can be added to non-Total Rewards letters

  • Requires SimplyMerit Support assistance to enable

Custom File Naming

Enhanced Letters support configurable:

  • File prefixes and suffixes

  • Grouping by:

    • Division

    • Department

    • Country

    • Manager

    • Other organizational fields

This simplifies bulk downloads and distribution.

Generating Test PDFs

Click Generate Test PDF to download a sample letter.

Important notes:

  • Uses a sample employee record

  • Data may not match your real structures

  • Intended for layout and formatting validation only

Letter Distribution and Manager Access

Administrator Testing (Recommended)

To test full output using real employee data:

  1. Go to Config → Exports

  2. Select:

    • All Merit Letters

    • All Bonus Letters

    • All Equity Letters

  3. Generate letters

  4. Download the ZIP file

This process:

  • Generates all letters

  • Does NOT email managers

  • Is safe for testing and validation

Manager Distribution

  • Managers receive notification emails when letters are ready

  • Only managers with enable_invitation = yes receive notifications

  • Letters may be distributed:

    • Via managers

    • Directly to employees (Enhanced Letters only)

    • Via bulk download

Implementation Best Practices

Planning

  • Review sample templates before choosing a format

  • Consider audience and level of compensation detail

Customization

  • Align branding with company standards

  • Test with sample and real data before rollout

Distribution

  • Decide between manager-led vs direct employee distribution

  • Train administrators on Enhanced Letter functionality

For help with setup, customization, tables, or distribution strategy, contact SimplyMerit Support.

Video Tutorial 

Watch the comprehensive Enhanced Letter Generator video tutorial that explains the new functionality and demonstrates how to activate and use the feature: 

Detailed Documentation 

 

→ Next : Guide: Admins Getting Started Part 21 - Distributing Letters through SimplyMerit

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