Offer and Compensation
Clear description of role, salary or wage rate, bonus eligibility, overtime treatment, pay schedule, and any equity grants or vesting terms.
A single Employment Package Agreement clarifies rights and duties, reduces administrative overhead, and creates one authoritative record for onboarding, payroll setup, and compliance. It helps avoid conflicting documents and speeds review by legal, HR, and payroll teams.
Ensure signatory authority is confirmed before execution and that all required attachments (benefits summaries, offer letter, IP assignment) are referenced and attached.
The individual hired must sign to accept the terms, confirm eligibility to work in the U.S., and acknowledge receipt of policies. Their signature establishes assent and begins statutory retention periods for personnel records.
A company officer or delegated HR designee must sign to bind the employer. This signer certifies the accuracy of compensation, benefits, and any conditional contingencies included in the package.
Clear description of role, salary or wage rate, bonus eligibility, overtime treatment, pay schedule, and any equity grants or vesting terms.
Effective date, probationary or introductory period, and whether employment is at-will or for a fixed term under state law.
Summary of health insurance, retirement plans, leave policies, and enrollment deadlines or conditions.
Provisions assigning employer ownership of work product, protecting trade secrets, and describing permitted use of confidential information.
Noncompete, non-solicit, or nondisclosure clauses where enforceable; specify scope, duration, and geographic limits consistent with state law.
Background checks, drug testing, immigration documentation (I-9 completion), and any offer revocation conditions.
| Field | Configuration |
|---|---|
| Signer Order | Employee first, then employer representative |
| Authentication | Email link + optional SMS code for higher assurance |
| Conditional Fields | Show benefits enrollment only if eligibility box checked |
| Audit Capture | Record IP, timestamp, and action log for each signer |
Ensure the chosen vendor can produce a reproducible audit trail and supports any required compliance (HIPAA BAA if health data included).
Complete within three business days of hire (8 CFR §274a.2).
Follow plan-specific enrollment windows, often within 30–60 days of start.
Collect W-4 and state tax withholding forms before first payroll run.
Specify an acceptance deadline in the offer to preserve the terms.
Allow sufficient time for criminal and credential checks before start date.
Company issues the offer and employment package to the candidate.
Candidate signs the package and returns acceptance to HR.
Background, drug screen, credentials, and I-9 verification are completed.
Final documents are stored and payroll, IT access, and benefits enrollment are activated.
| Document Type | Employment Package | Offer Letter | Independent Contractor Agreement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | comprehensive terms | brief summary | service terms and deliverables |
| Includes Benefits | sometimes | ||
| IP Assignment | often included | rarely included | usually included |
| Employment Status | employee (usually) | employee | contractor |
| 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 | Yes, 7-day free trial | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Bulk Send | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Audit Trail | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HIPAA Compliant | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Envelope Cap | No cap | 100 envelopes/user/year | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Optica used a consolidated employment package to standardize offers across three states.
A healthcare provider integrated HIPAA addenda into its employment package.