Identification
Employee legal name, date of birth (if required), and government ID references for verification and background checks.
A properly completed PAF reduces onboarding errors, ensures correct payroll setup, and creates a record for audits and legal compliance. Legal validity of electronically executed PAFs is supported by the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and UETA in most states.
HR, hiring managers, payroll staff, and hiring approvers typically collaborate to complete the PAF.
Additional reviewers may include legal, IT provisioning, and security teams depending on role sensitivity and required clearances.
| Field | Configuration |
|---|---|
| Required Fields | Make name, start date, and employment type mandatory |
| Routing | Set sequential routing: manager → HR → payroll |
| Integrations | Map HRIS fields for automatic export |
| Notifications | Enable email/SMS reminders for pending approvals |
Choose a platform that supports audit trails, conditional fields, and integrations with HRIS and payroll systems.
Ensure the chosen platform supports retention, export to HR systems, and, if needed, HIPAA BAAs for health-related personnel records.
Employee legal name, date of birth (if required), and government ID references for verification and background checks.
Title, department, manager, location, and FLSA exemption status to drive payroll and organizational reporting.
Base salary or hourly wage, pay cycle, bonuses, and effective pay date for payroll configuration.
Tax withholding status, employee vs contractor designation, and benefit eligibility fields for compliance.
Named approvers, signature fields, dates, and workflow timestamps to create an auditable approval trail.
Offer letter, I-9, W-4, and any background-check authorization documents linked to the PAF record.
Provide by Jan 31 each year (IRS requirement)
Issue to recipients by Jan 31; file with IRS by Jan 31
Complete Section 1 and Section 2 at hire; retain per 8 CFR §274a.2
Collect Form W-4 on hire to determine withholding immediately
Keep hiring records per applicable federal and state retention rules
| Criteria | Employee Hiring PAF | I-9 |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | internal record | work authorization |
| Required Signatures | manager/hr | employee + employer representative |
| Mandatory Fields | job, pay, approvals | identity and employment eligibility |
| Retention | hr archives | 3 yrs hire/1 yr post-termination |
| 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 | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Bulk Send | Yes (Business Premium) | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Audit Trail | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HIPAA Compliant | Yes (BAA) | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Tech Data centralized PAF processing to streamline onboarding
A small property management firm digitized hiring to avoid in-person meetings