Scope and purpose
Define who the Code applies to, effective date, and relationship to other policies such as harassment, data protection, and IT acceptable use.
Clear role assignment and a documented signature trail reduce enforcement disputes and support audits or investigations.
Define who the Code applies to, effective date, and relationship to other policies such as harassment, data protection, and IT acceptable use.
List specific behaviors that are prohibited and required, covering workplace respect, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, and use of company assets.
Describe channels for reporting concerns (manager, HR, hotline), confidentiality protections, and anti-retaliation commitments to encourage reporting.
Explain how complaints are investigated, timelines, investigator independence, and how findings are documented and communicated.
Outline progressive discipline, potential sanctions up to termination, and factors considered in determining corrective action.
Include an employee acknowledgement section with signature block and details about periodic policy review and updates.
A mid-size firm centralized its Code and distributed it during onboarding to every new hire via secure eSign.
An organization added a separate whistleblower reporting appendix and required manager training acknowledgements before distribution.
Confirm the vendor supports audit trails, role-based access, and any compliance addenda required for your industry or regulated data.
| 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 available | Trial offers vary by vendor | Trial offers vary by vendor | Trial offers vary by vendor | Trial offers vary by vendor |
| Bulk Send | Yes (Business Premium) | Varies by plan | Varies by plan | Varies by plan | Varies by plan |
| Audit Trail | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HIPAA Compliant | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |