Can the 90-day review be signed electronically?

Yes. Electronic signatures are legally enforceable in interstate commerce under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. chapter 96) and under state UETA statutes in most states. Ensure intent, consent, attribution, and retention to meet the four-part ESIGN test.

Does the employee have to consent to electronic records?

For consumer-facing financial or government benefits records, ESIGN requires a consumer disclosure and affirmative consent; for internal employment records, consent is typically governed by company policy and state law—document consent in HR policy where applicable.

What if an employee disputes the review?

Allow a written rebuttal and preserve both the original review and the employee’s response. Maintain the audit trail and consider escalation to HR or legal for contested disciplinary actions.

Are notarization or witnesses required?

Performance reviews are ordinarily not notarized. If a separate HR document requires notarization, follow applicable state notary and RON rules; check state-specific notary rules where the signer is located.

How long must HR keep the signed review?

Retain per applicable federal and state rules: retain employment records per IRS and I-9 rules (see IRC §6501(a) and 8 CFR §274a.2) and longer if subject to industry-specific rules or litigation holds.

What if the review contains health information?

If the review contains protected health information (PHI), apply HIPAA safeguards, sign a BAA with the e-sign provider, and retain records for six years per 45 CFR §164.530(j).

Electronic Signature
Templates
HR
Employee 90-Day Review

Employee 90-Day Review

This template is fully customizable. Edit the text, fill out the fields, and send it for signature. Give it a try!

What the Employee 90-Day Review Is

The Employee 90-Day Review is a standardized performance evaluation completed after an employee’s first three months. It documents early performance, onboarding progress, role fit, initial goals, and any training or corrective actions. Organizations use it to confirm expectations, identify development needs, and decide whether to continue, reassign, or terminate employment within probationary periods.

Why completing a 90-day review matters

A clear 90-day review aligns manager and employee expectations, reduces turnover risk, and creates a written record of early performance and corrective steps for HR and compliance.

Who completes and receives the 90-day review

Use the review for internal documentation, performance improvement plans, and to inform subsequent reviews at six months and annually.

Hiring manager: prepares evaluation, provides examples and ratings.
Human resources: reviews for policy consistency and stores records.
Employee: acknowledges, responds to feedback, and signs the plan.

Core sections included in a professional 90-day review

A complete 90-day review captures identity, role expectations, objective ratings, evidence, development steps, and signatures so the record is actionable and auditable.

Employee details

Full name, job title, department, employee ID, hire and review dates, and contact details for accurate record linkage.

Performance ratings

Numeric or descriptive ratings by competency (quality, timeliness, communication, teamwork) with space for examples and supporting evidence.

Manager observations

Concise, work-focused examples of strengths and areas for improvement tied to job responsibilities and measurable outcomes.

Development plan

Specific actions, deadlines, resources, and owner for training or corrective measures to address gaps identified in the review.

Employee comments

Space for the employee to provide their perspective, note disagreements, or request accommodations; signed acknowledgement recommended.

Signatures and dates

Manager, employee, and HR signer fields with signature method and date to validate completion and attribution.

How to complete a 90-day review in four steps

Follow a consistent sequence: prepare documentation, meet with the employee, record agreed actions, and file the final record.

01

Prepare: Collect examples, attendance, and objective metrics for the 90-day period.
02

Meet: Hold a candid review meeting; present evidence and listen to employee responses.
03

Document: Record agreed ratings, comments, development steps, and timelines.
04

File: Store signed record in HR system and notify employee of retention policy.

Configuring the review workflow for digital completion

Set up the template with fields, signer roles, and authentication so the review routes and stores consistently.

Field	Configuration
Template name	Use a standard title like '90-Day Review - [Job Title]'
Signer order	Manager → Employee → HR to ensure proper approvals
Authentication	Email link or SMS code for signer verification
Notifications	Auto-notify signers and HR on completion

Typical e-submission flow for an electronic 90-day review

A concise digital workflow standardizes completion: upload, place fields, route to signers, then store with audit data.

Upload document: Add the review template or completed PDF to the platform.
Place fields: Add name, date, rating, comment, and signature fields for each party.
Send to signers: Route in the configured order with authentication enabled.
Store record: Save signed PDF and audit trail in HR records.

Technical considerations for eSubmission and integrations

Choose configurations that preserve audit trails and automate storage to reduce manual tasks and improve compliance.

Integrations: Salesforce, Microsoft 365, and NetSuite for syncing employee data.
File formats: Accept PDF and DOCX to preserve layout and fields.
Authentication options: Email, SMS code, or enterprise SSO for signer verification.

Key deadlines and timing to follow

Maintain timing discipline: schedule, conduct, document, and file the review within defined windows to protect rights and records.

90-day milestone:

Conduct the formal review on or shortly after the 90th day.

Meeting scheduling window:

Invite the employee at least 3–7 business days before the meeting.

Acknowledgement due:

Employee should sign or acknowledge within 7 days of meeting.

HR filing:

File signed record in HR system within 14 days of completion.

Appeal or rebuttal window:

Allow the employee 30 days to submit written response or appeal.

Milestones in the 90-day review process

Track milestones from onboarding through post-review actions to ensure timely follow-up and compliance.

01

Onboarding complete

Initial training and orientation concluded; basic metrics begin to accrue.

02

Sixty-day check-in

Informal feedback session to surface issues before the formal review.

03

Ninety-day review

Formal evaluation meeting with documented ratings and agreed next steps.

04

Post-review actions

Implement development plan, corrective action, or confirm continued employment.

Common mistakes to avoid when preparing the review

Using vague language without specific examples makes ratings hard to defend and reduces usefulness for development planning.
Failing to collect objective evidence (metrics, attendance, deliverables) before the meeting weakens the manager’s observations.
Delaying the meeting after the 90-day date can create disputes about timeliness and the accuracy of recollections.
Applying inconsistent rating scales across employees invites fairness complaints and complicates calibration across teams.

Security and compliance controls to apply to review records

Encryption: AES-256 at rest; TLS 1.2/1.3 in transit

Access control: Role-based access and least privilege

Audit trail: Signed PDF with timestamp and IP log

Authentication: Email, SMS code, or SSO options

HIPAA readiness: BAA required if PHI included

Certifications: SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001

Risks and potential consequences of poor documentation

Adverse employment claims: Incomplete records increase litigation risk

I-9 retention issues: Noncompliance can trigger DHS fines

Discrimination exposure: Inconsistent reviews enable disparate treatment claims

Payroll disputes: Incorrect role or dates affect pay calculations

Data breaches: Unauthorized access risks regulatory penalties

Record unreliability: Missing signatures weaken evidence in disputes

Practical examples of 90-day review use

Two anonymized scenarios show how reviews shape outcomes and follow-up actions in small and medium organizations.

Case Study 1

A small software team used objective metrics for the review

Manager identified gaps in testing coverage
The employee completed targeted training and met goals within 60 days, preventing escalation to termination.

Case Study 2

A retail manager documented attendance and performance concerns

Employee provided mitigating context and a revised schedule was agreed
HR tracked the plan, and records supported a later promotion after improvement.

Practical tips to make reviews accurate and useful

Adopt consistent templates, use objective evidence, and ensure timely completion to maximize fairness and defensibility.

Standardize templates

Use a uniform form and rating scale across teams to enable fair comparisons and simpler audits.

Cite examples

Record specific, dated examples for each rating to support development and reduce disputes.

Document follow-up

Capture next steps with owners and deadlines to convert feedback into measurable improvement.

Preserve audit trail

Retain signed PDFs and metadata—timestamps, IPs, and email addresses—for legal defensibility.

Comparing e-signature vendor pricing and features for review workflows

Vendor pricing and key capabilities for typical HR review workflows. signNow appears first as a vendor column; compare starting prices, trial availability, bulk send, audit trail, HIPAA compliance, and envelope limits.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	7-day free trial	Varies by promotion	Varies by promotion	Varies by plan	Varies by plan
Bulk Send	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No

Frequently asked questions about 90-day reviews and e-signing

Answers to common operational and legal questions when using digital reviews and signatures in the United States.

Need help? Contact support

Can the 90-day review be signed electronically?
Yes. Electronic signatures are legally enforceable in interstate commerce under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. chapter 96) and under state UETA statutes in most states. Ensure intent, consent, attribution, and retention to meet the four-part ESIGN test.
Does the employee have to consent to electronic records?
For consumer-facing financial or government benefits records, ESIGN requires a consumer disclosure and affirmative consent; for internal employment records, consent is typically governed by company policy and state law—document consent in HR policy where applicable.
What if an employee disputes the review?
Allow a written rebuttal and preserve both the original review and the employee’s response. Maintain the audit trail and consider escalation to HR or legal for contested disciplinary actions.
Are notarization or witnesses required?
Performance reviews are ordinarily not notarized. If a separate HR document requires notarization, follow applicable state notary and RON rules; check state-specific notary rules where the signer is located.
How long must HR keep the signed review?
Retain per applicable federal and state rules: retain employment records per IRS and I-9 rules (see IRC §6501(a) and 8 CFR §274a.2) and longer if subject to industry-specific rules or litigation holds.
What if the review contains health information?
If the review contains protected health information (PHI), apply HIPAA safeguards, sign a BAA with the e-sign provider, and retain records for six years per 45 CFR §164.530(j).

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Employee 90-Day Review