Position and Duties
Clearly define title, reporting structure, essential duties, and any material performance expectations to limit ambiguity about job scope and supervision.
A complete Employment Permanent IEA reduces disputes by documenting expectations, protects confidential information, and clarifies compensation and termination terms. Electronically executed agreements are enforceable under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. §7001) and UETA when state law applies, provided intent, consent, attribution, and retention requirements are met.
Employers, HR teams, hiring managers, and legal departments prepare the IEA; candidates and new hires sign it to accept permanent employment.
Stakeholders must confirm signatory authority and any required approvals before final execution and retention.
| Field | Configuration |
|---|---|
| Signer Order | Employee first | HR second | Manager third |
| Authentication | Email link and optional SMS code |
| Required Fields | Name, start date, compensation, signature |
| Retention | Store executed PDF with audit trail |
Choose platform settings and integrations that align with HR systems, compliance, and authentication needs before sending the IEA.
Ensure single sign-on, role-based access, and audit logging are enabled to protect personnel records and simplify access control for HR and legal teams.
Retain for 3 years after hire or 1 year after termination, whichever is later
Provide employees W-2 by January 31 each year
Issue 1099-NEC to contractors by January 31
File Form 1040 by April 15 unless extended
Maintain retrievable personnel records per state law
Employer issues written offer with core terms for acceptance.
Employee signs the IEA and returns to HR.
Payroll, tax forms, and benefits enrollment finalized.
Executed IEA stored in secure personnel record system.
Clearly define title, reporting structure, essential duties, and any material performance expectations to limit ambiguity about job scope and supervision.
Specify base salary, pay frequency, bonus eligibility, commission structure if any, and how reimbursements are handled to avoid payroll disputes.
List health insurance, retirement plan access, paid time off accrual, and eligibility waiting periods, and reference related handbooks or plan documents.
Include confidentiality, invention assignment, and IP ownership clauses when the role involves proprietary information or creative output.
State termination rights, notice periods, severance (if any), and at-will disclaimers where applicable under state law.
Reference required policy acknowledgements such as harassment, data privacy, and IT acceptable use, and indicate where policies are located.
Optica simplified acceptance for hires by sending the IEA electronically
The organization standardized employment contracts across multiple clinics
| 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 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 |