Can employees sign digitally?

Yes. Electronic signatures meet legal standards under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96, 2000) and UETA where adopted. Ensure intent, consent, attribution, and record retention are met for enforceability.

Do expense receipts need notarization?

No. Receipts or images do not require notarization. Notarization applies to sworn affidavits or documents that state law requires a notarized signature.

What if names or IDs don’t match payroll?

Mismatched names or IDs can delay reimbursement and require manual correction; ensure employee names match payroll records and use unique employee IDs where possible.

How long should expense records be kept?

Retain expense and payroll records at least three years for IRS purposes (IRC §6501(a)), longer for industry-specific rules such as HIPAA (45 CFR §164.530(j)).

Is a BAA required for cloud vendors?

If a vendor will handle protected health information, execute a Business Associate Agreement to meet HIPAA obligations before sending PHI-containing records.

What authentication is recommended?

Use email plus optional MFA or SMS codes for routine approvals; for high-risk workflows consider stronger signer authentication or identity proofing to reduce repudiation risk.

Electronic Signature
Templates
HR
HR Time and Expense Policy

HR Time and Expense Policy

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

HR TIME AND EXPENSE POLICY

Personal Information

Full Legal Name Home Address

Phone

Email

Position Information

Job Title Department Reporting Manager

Scheduled Start Date:

Employment History

Most Recent Employer

Dates Employed: From to

Key Responsibilities Reason for Leaving Prior Employer

Dates Employed: From to

Key Responsibilities Reason for Leaving

Education

Highest Degree Institution

Graduation Date:

References

Reference 1 Reference 2 Reference 3

Policy: Timekeeping

Accurate timekeeping is essential. Employees must record all hours worked and breaks using the approved system. Time must be recorded no later than the end of the workday. Intentional falsification, omission, or alteration of time records is grounds for disciplinary action up to and including termination and restitution of paid wages.

Rounding and Minimum Increments: Time entries are recorded in increments of . Rounding practices are applied consistently and in accordance with applicable wage and hour laws.

Overtime: Non-exempt employees must obtain prior written approval from their manager for overtime work. Unauthorized overtime may not be compensated unless approved by HR.

Policy: Expense Reimbursement

The company will reimburse reasonable and necessary business expenses incurred while performing job duties. Reimbursement is contingent on timely submission, manager approval, and supporting documentation as specified below.

Eligible Expense Types (check all that apply)

Travel (airfare, train, rental car)
Lodging
Meals
Mileage
Business supplies and materials

Receipt and Documentation Requirements: Original itemized receipts or scanned copies are required for all expenses over . Receipts must show vendor, date, and itemized amounts. Card statements alone are not sufficient.

Per Diem and Mileage: Where applicable, per diem allowances will be used in lieu of itemized meal receipts. Mileage reimbursement will be calculated at the company rate in effect at the time of travel. Employees must record start and end odometer readings for mileage claims.

Typical Expense Submission Details

Approvals, Deadlines, and Audits

Expense reports must be submitted within of the expense date. Manager approval is required for reimbursement. The company reserves the right to audit expense reports and supporting documents; employees must cooperate with any audit requests.

Non-Compliance and Corrective Action

Failure to comply with timekeeping or expense procedures may result in denial of reimbursement, repayment of funds, and disciplinary action up to termination. Intentional misrepresentation of time or expenses constitutes fraud and may result in civil or criminal liability.

Record Retention and Privacy

Time and expense records will be retained in accordance with company record retention schedules and applicable law. Personal employee information submitted in connection with expense claims will be treated as confidential and used only for legitimate business purposes.

Equal Opportunity and At-Will Employment

Equal Opportunity Statement: The company provides equal employment opportunity and makes timekeeping and expense administration decisions without regard to protected characteristics as defined by law.

At-Will Employment Statement: Employment with the company is at-will unless otherwise specified in a signed agreement. The existence of this policy does not alter the at-will employment relationship.

Authorization to Verify and Background Checks

By signing below, the employee authorizes the company to verify employment history, education, and references, and to conduct background checks where permitted by law. This authorization extends to providing facts or opinions about prior employment to the company by former employers and references.

I authorize the company to deduct from future wages or final paychecks any amounts determined to have been reimbursed in error or paid as a result of falsified or inaccurate information, to the extent permitted by law.

Employee Certification and Acknowledgment

I certify that all time entries and expense reports I submit will be true, accurate, and complete to the best of my knowledge. I understand that intentional falsification of time or expense records may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination, and may subject me to criminal or civil liability. I acknowledge receipt and understanding of the company’s Time and Expense Policy and agree to comply with the provisions herein.

Employee Comments or Clarifications (optional) Consent to Verify Background and References

I consent to the company contacting my prior employers, educational institutions, and references and conducting background checks as permitted by law.

Employee Printed Name:

Signature:

Date:

What the HR Time and Expense Policy Is and Why It Matters

The HR Time and Expense Policy is an internal company document that defines how employees record hours, request reimbursements, and submit expense documentation. It sets rules for timekeeping methods, approval workflows, acceptable expenses, receipt requirements, and payroll cutoff times. The policy clarifies roles and responsibilities for employees, managers, and payroll staff, reduces reimbursement disputes, and creates an auditable record for payroll, tax reporting, and compliance purposes.

Key outcomes the policy delivers for employers and staff

A clear HR Time and Expense Policy reduces payroll errors, shortens reimbursement cycles, and supports regulatory compliance by standardizing submission formats, approval authority, and documentation requirements.

Who interacts with this policy and how they benefit

Clear role definitions reduce review cycles and ensure consistent treatment for payroll, tax reporting, and internal audits.

Employees submitting time and expenses for pay and reimbursement using prescribed forms or digital workflows.
Managers approving time and expenses and validating business purpose and receipts before payroll submission.
Payroll and finance teams reconciling entries, applying tax rules, and completing reporting obligations.

Essential elements to include in a professional HR Time and Expense Policy

A complete policy balances operational detail with clear rules. Key sections typically cover timekeeping methods, expense categories, approval matrices, documentation standards, audit controls, and consequences for noncompliance.

Timekeeping Rules

Define allowable hours entry methods, rounding rules, overtime approval, and time zone handling to ensure consistent payroll calculation and FLSA compliance.

Expense Types

List reimbursable and non-reimbursable expenses, per-diem limits, travel classes, and required receipts to reduce disputes and control costs.

Approval Matrix

Specify who can approve entries at each level with delegated authority limits and escalation paths for exceptions or policy deviations.

Documentation Standards

State acceptable receipt formats, itemization requirements, and acceptable digital attachments to support audits and tax compliance.

Audit & Recordkeeping

Describe retention periods, audit triggers, and how records are preserved for payroll, tax, and regulatory review.

Consequences

Outline corrective actions for inaccurate reporting, late submissions, or fraudulent claims, including repayment and disciplinary measures.

Step-by-step: completing and submitting time and expense entries

Follow these sequential steps each pay period to ensure timely payment and reimbursement.

01

Gather Records: Collect timesheets, receipts, mileage logs, and supporting notes for the period in one place.
02

Enter Time: Record hours in the approved system using MM/DD/YYYY and company rounding rules.
03

Attach Receipts: Upload digital receipts and itemize multi-purpose expenses before submission.
04

Submit for Approval: Send the request to your manager or delegated approver before payroll cutoff.

Configuring the digital workflow for time and expense approval

Typical settings ensure secure routing, appropriate authentication, and automated notifications for each submission.

Field	Configuration
Authentication	Email link or SMS code; consider stronger MFA for high-value claims
Auto-routing	Route to manager, then finance; allow conditional reroute for exceptions
Template	Use prebuilt form templates to standardize fields and required attachments
Notifications	Enable email and in-app alerts for pending approvals and payment status

Where completed HR time and expense records go next

After submission, forms follow a standard routing sequence for validation, approval, and payroll posting.

Manager Review: Approver verifies hours and business purpose before approving for payroll.
Payroll Intake: Payroll receives approved entries and applies pay calculations and taxes.
Finance Reimbursement: Finance processes approved expense reimbursements through accounts payable.
Archive: Signed and approved records are stored in the records system for retention.

Digital signing and distribution requirements for the policy

Ensure the chosen platform can preserve signed records in searchable formats and meet any industry compliance needs such as HIPAA or 21 CFR Part 11.

Integrations: Supports Salesforce, NetSuite, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and common HR systems
Formats: Accepts PDF, DOCX, and Excel for templates and data export
Security: TLS 1.2/1.3 and AES-256 encryption for transit and rest

Important timing and filing expectations

Meet these internal and external deadlines to avoid payroll delays, tax penalties, or audit issues.

Pay Period Cutoff:

Set a firm internal cutoff (commonly 48–72 hours before payroll run)

Expense Submission Window:

Recommend submission within 30 days of expense; longer delays may require justification

W-2 Distribution:

Employers must provide Form W-2 to employees by January 31 (IRS requirement)

1099-NEC Deadline:

Form 1099-NEC to recipients and IRS by January 31 (per IRS rules)

I-9 Retention:

Retain I-9 for three years after hire or one year after termination, whichever is later (8 CFR §274a.2)

Common preparation mistakes to avoid

Submitting incomplete receipts or low-quality images that finance cannot verify and must reject.
Entering time in inconsistent formats or wrong time zones, causing payroll rounding and overtime errors.
Approvers skipping verification of business purpose or policy limits, increasing fraud risk and audit findings.
Delaying submissions past payroll cutoff, which leads to manual adjustments and late reimbursements.

Consequences of inaccurate or noncompliant time and expense records

Payroll Adjustments: Corrections and back-pay liabilities

Tax Penalties: Filing errors can trigger IRS penalties under IRC §6721

I-9 Violations: Civil penalties ranging from $281–$2,789 per violation

Fraud Findings: Disciplinary actions including termination

Reimbursement Denials: Unpaid expenses due to policy noncompliance

Privacy Breach: Potential HIPAA or state data breach obligations

eSignature vendor comparison relevant to HR time and expense workflows

Compare common provider features and baseline pricing when selecting a platform for signed timesheets and expense approvals; signNow is listed first per the comparison convention.

	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 trial	No	No	Yes, limited	Yes, limited
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/yr	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan

Real-world examples of policy adoption and results

These short examples show how organizations applied digital workflows to streamline approvals and maintain compliance.

Optica Ventures — COO

Optica adopted an online signing workflow to centralize approvals and reduce manual steps.

Small team rollout across finance and HR.
The interface is simple and easy-to-use for our team; more importantly, it is just as easy for our customers.

Xerox — Director of NetSuite Operations

Xerox integrated e-signing into its ERP to sync approvals with accounting entries.

Automated routing to NetSuite reduced reconciliation time.
airSlate SignNow provides us with the flexibility needed to get the right signatures on the right documents, in the right formats.

Typical authorized signatories for time and expense approvals

HR Director

The HR Director typically oversees policy adoption, approves high-level exceptions, and ensures alignment with payroll, benefits, and compliance obligations across the organization.

Payroll Manager

The Payroll Manager enforces payroll cutoffs, applies tax treatments, reconciles approved time entries, and coordinates payments and reporting with finance and external auditors.

Frequently asked questions and common troubleshooting scenarios

Answers to frequent questions about signing, notarization, retention, and compliance for HR time and expense records.

Need help? Contact support

Can employees sign digitally?
Yes. Electronic signatures meet legal standards under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96, 2000) and UETA where adopted. Ensure intent, consent, attribution, and record retention are met for enforceability.
Do expense receipts need notarization?
No. Receipts or images do not require notarization. Notarization applies to sworn affidavits or documents that state law requires a notarized signature.
What if names or IDs don’t match payroll?
Mismatched names or IDs can delay reimbursement and require manual correction; ensure employee names match payroll records and use unique employee IDs where possible.
How long should expense records be kept?
Retain expense and payroll records at least three years for IRS purposes (IRC §6501(a)), longer for industry-specific rules such as HIPAA (45 CFR §164.530(j)).
Is a BAA required for cloud vendors?
If a vendor will handle protected health information, execute a Business Associate Agreement to meet HIPAA obligations before sending PHI-containing records.
What authentication is recommended?
Use email plus optional MFA or SMS codes for routine approvals; for high-risk workflows consider stronger signer authentication or identity proofing to reduce repudiation risk.

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