Is an electronic signature valid?

Yes. Under the federal ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. §7001) and state UETA frameworks, electronic signatures are generally legally equivalent to handwritten signatures when the four ESIGN validity criteria—intent, consent, attribution, and retention—are met. Exceptions such as wills, certain court filings, and probate remain excluded.

Do I need a signature from the employee?

Typically manager and authorized approver signatures are required; employee signature depends on company policy and the nature of the change. If the raise alters core employment terms or benefits, obtain employee acknowledgment. Consumer-facing changes require ESIGN consumer-disclosure procedures per 15 U.S.C. §7001(c).

Can the form be e-signed remotely?

Yes. Electronic signatures are valid for most raise forms and can be completed remotely. If notarization or witness is required, use a state-approved remote online notarization (RON) process that meets identity-proofing, audio-video recording, and retention rules per the relevant state notary statutes.

How long should we keep signed forms?

Retain signed raise forms per applicable federal and state retention rules: at least three years for tax records (IRC §6501(a)), I-9 retention rules (8 CFR §274a.2), and six years for HIPAA-related records (45 CFR §164.530(j)) when applicable.

What are common errors to avoid?

Common errors include missing approvals, incorrect employee identification, wrong effective dates, and failure to update payroll codes. These mistakes can trigger payroll reversals, tax reporting corrections, backup withholding, and increased audit exposure; follow the fillable fields guide and approval workflow to reduce risk.

Which roles should sign the form?

Signatures typically include the proposing manager, an authorized budget-holder or finance approver, and an HR or payroll representative. For material compensation changes, require a senior authorized signer per delegation-of-authority policies; document any delegated approvals to maintain auditability.

Electronic Signature
Templates
HR
Employee Raises Form

Employee Raises Form

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

EMPLOYEE RAISES FORM

Personal Information

Full Legal Name Employee ID Address

Phone

Email

Position Information

Job Title Department

Reporting Manager

Employment Start Date

Current Salary / Hourly Rate

Proposed Compensation

Effective Date

Raise Type: Merit Promotion Market Adjustment Cost-of-Living

Percent Increase (if applicable)

Justification and Business Impact

Business Justification Documented Performance / Metrics

Compensation Budget & Approvals

Cost Center / Budget Code Budget Impact Amount

HR Review Completed: Yes

Employment History

Previous Employer 1 — Company Name Title / Role Dates Employed Primary Responsibilities Reason for Leaving Previous Employer 2 — Company Name Title / Role Dates Employed Primary Responsibilities Reason for Leaving

Education

Highest Degree Institution Graduation Date

References

Reference 1 — Name

Reference 2 — Name

Reference 3 — Name

Legal Disclosures & Authorizations

At-Will Employment: Employment with the company is at-will. Nothing in this raise request or its approval modifies the at-will nature of employment, unless an expressly signed written agreement states otherwise.

Equal Employment Opportunity: The company provides equal opportunity for employment and compensation without regard to protected characteristics. Compensation decisions will be made in accordance with applicable non-discrimination laws and internal compensation policies.

Authorization to Verify: By submitting this form, the employee authorizes the company to contact prior employers or references as reasonably necessary to verify employment history and performance. The employee further acknowledges that HR may perform background or compensation verification as appropriate for approval.

Consent to Verification: I authorize verification of the information provided in this form and consent to reasonable background checks limited to employment and compensation history.

Applicant Certification

I certify that all information provided on this form is true, complete, and accurate to the best of my knowledge. I understand that any material misrepresentation or omission may result in disciplinary action up to and including revocation of the raise and possible termination of employment.

Acknowledgement: I acknowledge and agree to the statements above.

Approvals (To be completed by management / HR)

Approving Manager Name Manager Title HR Representative

Employee:

By:

Date:

Approving Manager / HR:

By:

Date:

What the Employee Raises Form Is

The Employee Raises Form is a standardized HR document used to record and authorize changes to an employee's compensation, including base salary, bonuses, or adjustments to hourly rates. It documents the effective date, new salary figure, rationale or approval code, and any budget or departmental chargebacks. Employers use this form to create an auditable record for payroll, benefits eligibility, tax reporting, and internal controls. When completed and signed by authorized managers and the employee (if required), the form becomes part of the personnel file and supports downstream payroll and accounting updates.

Why a Proper Employee Raises Form Matters

Provides consistent documentation for pay changes, reduces payroll errors, and creates an audit trail for compliance and budgeting. It helps coordinate approvals across HR, finance, and management while preserving clear records for performance reviews, compensation analysis, and possible audits.

Who Completes and Signs the Employee Raises Form

This form is completed by managers, HR professionals, and payroll staff to document compensation changes and obtain required approvals.

Managers and supervisors — propose salary adjustments, add justification, and initiate approval routing.
Human resources — verify policy compliance, calculate benefits impact, update personnel records.
Payroll or finance — validate budget codes, process effective date, and update payroll systems.

Use role-specific copies for approvals and file the signed form in the employee's personnel file and the payroll system.

Core Elements to Include on an Employee Raises Form

Include fields for employee identity, current and new pay, effective date, approval chain, budget code, and notes that record the business rationale.

Employee ID

Enter the employee's full name and employer-assigned ID. Use the exact legal name to match payroll, tax, and benefits records; mismatches can delay processing or trigger backup withholding.

Current Compensation

Record current salary, hourly rate, or active bonus schedule including pay frequency. Specify whether amounts are pre- or post-tax for clarity in payroll adjustments.

New Compensation

State the new salary or rate, any one-time adjustments, and the new pay frequency. Include both numeric value and written amount when applicable to avoid transcription errors.

Effective Date

Enter the effective date in MM/DD/YYYY format. This date governs payroll changes, benefits eligibility, and accrual calculations; incorrect dates can result in retroactive adjustments.

Approvals

List approvers by name, job title, and signature date. Include sequential or delegated approvals and indicate whether electronic or handwritten signatures satisfy internal control policies.

Budget Code

Provide the account, department, or cost-center code that funds the raise. Accurate codes ensure payroll charges hit the correct ledger and inform financial forecasting.

Security and Compliance Features to Note

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

Certifications: SOC 2 Type II; ISO 27001; PCI DSS

HIPAA: Compliant with BAA available

21 CFR: Supports FDA records requirements

ESIGN / UETA: Meets federal and state e-sign laws

Audit Trail: Detailed timestamps, IPs, signer history

Key Risks and Consequences of Errors

Tax Withholding: Missing TIN triggers backup withholding

Payroll Errors: Incorrect effective date causes retro pay

Approval Gaps: Unsigned forms delay authorization

Regulatory Fines: Noncompliance may trigger penalties

Audit Exposure: Poor records increase audit risk

Privacy Breach: Sensitive HR data exposed

Common Preparation Mistakes to Avoid

Failing to obtain required managerial or budget-holder signatures is common and often causes payroll teams to halt processing pending manual follow-up.
Entering the wrong effective date or using an ambiguous phrase like 'immediate' leads to retroactive corrections and possible benefit proration issues.
Mismatched employee legal name or incorrect SSN/TIN can trigger backup withholding and complicate year-end tax reporting for the employer.
Not updating ledger or cost-center codes causes misallocated payroll expenses and increases reconciliation work for finance during month-end close.

How to Fill Out an Employee Raises Form

Follow a consistent sequence: identify the employee, enter current and new pay, set effective date, collect approvals, then submit to payroll and HR.

01

Identify Employee: Enter full name and employee ID
02

Specify Change: Record new amount and change type
03

Get Approvals: Obtain manager and finance signatures
04

Submit: Send signed form to HR and payroll

Digital Signing and Submission Options

Select a secure e-signature platform compatible with HR and payroll systems, providing audit trails, signer authentication, and exportable signed copies.

Integrations: Connectors for HRIS, payroll, and CRM
Authentication: Email, SMS, or SSO options
Export Formats: PDF, DOCX, CSV supported

How to Configure an Online Employee Raises Workflow

Map steps to mirror approval sequence, include conditional fields for budget approval, and enable notifications to payroll and HR.

Form Field and Workflow Configuration	Field \| Configuration
Employee Identifier Field	Auto-fill from HRIS and verify \| Required field for routing
Compensation Fields	Conditional show if budget approved \| Numeric validation
Approval Routing	Manager then finance sequential routing \| email notifications
Payroll Export	Map to payroll codes \| automatic export on approval

Where to Send and File the Completed Form

Identify HR, payroll, and employee copies; choose physical filing or secure electronic submission to HRIS and document repository.

HR Copy: Store signed form in personnel file
Payroll Copy: Upload to payroll system before cutoff
Employee Copy: Provide a signed copy to the employee
Archive: Save PDF in secure document repository

Key Timelines and Deadlines

Track effective dates, payroll cutoffs, and reporting deadlines to avoid retro pay and tax discrepancies when processing raises.

Effective Date and Payroll Cutoff:

Confirm payroll cutoff to ensure changes take effect on the intended pay cycle.

Approval Lead Time:

Allow enough time for multi-level approvals before payroll processing deadlines.

Retroactive Changes:

Document justification and approvals for any retroactive pay adjustments to support audits.

Tax Reporting Impact:

Update payroll tax codes immediately to prevent year-end corrections.

Record Retention Obligations:

Retain signed forms per company policy and applicable federal or state requirements.

Processing Milestones for a Raise Request

The raise request follows sequential stages from proposal to payroll update; maintain checkpoints for approvals, budget verification, and audit readiness.

01

Initiation

Manager completes form and provides business justification.

02

Budget Approval

Finance confirms available funds and assigns cost center.

03

Final Authorization

Authorized signer approves and signs the form.

04

Payroll Update

Payroll applies new rate and issues any retro pay.

Comparing eSignature Vendors for Employee Raises

Vendor pricing and compliance features matter when processing compensation changes electronically; the table compares core plan attributes and compliance capabilities across vendors.

	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, no credit card required	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor
Bulk Send	Yes (Business Premium)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Varies
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes (BAA available)	Yes	Yes	No	No

Employee Raises Form — Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to common questions about completing, signing, and storing Employee Raises Forms, and how electronic workflows affect validity and recordkeeping.

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