Employment Contract Electronic Signature: Sign an Employment Agreement Online
SignSend lets employers send an employment contract for electronic signature in minutes. Upload the offer letter or employment agreement, place the fields, and your new hire signs from any device, with a legally binding audit trail on every signed document.
Free plan available. No credit card required.
Upload a document to sign
PDF, DOCX, PNG, JPG · up to 50MB
1. Upload
2. Place fields
3. Send
No credit card required. Free plan available.
$12/mo
Flat Pro plan, no per-user fees
Unlimited
Documents signed on paid plans
< 1 day
Typical time to a signed offer
ESIGN
Legally binding in all 50 states
A start date slips when the paperwork does. You extend the offer, the candidate says yes, and then the employment contract sits in an inbox waiting for someone to print, sign, scan, and send it back. In a tight market that delay is where a good hire keeps talking to other companies. An employment contract electronic signature closes it: you send the agreement, the new hire signs from their phone, and the signed copy is in your records the same day.
SignSend is built for the small businesses, HR teams, and hiring managers who bring people on without paying enterprise seat prices. Upload any offer letter or employment agreement, assign the signature and date fields, and send it for a legally binding electronic signature. This page covers how electronic employment-contract signing works, whether it holds up legally, what it costs, and the questions employers ask before they move onboarding off paper.
Can an employment contract be signed electronically?
Yes. An employment contract can be signed electronically, and it is legally binding in all 50 states under the federal ESIGN Act of 2000 and state UETA laws, as long as both parties agree to sign electronically and the document keeps an audit trail. An electronically signed offer letter or employment agreement carries the same legal weight as one signed in ink.
For the signature to hold up, three things need to be true: each party intended to sign, the signature is tied to that specific agreement, and the platform records a verifiable trail of who signed, when, and from where. SignSend captures all three on every document, so a signed employment contract stands up if it is ever questioned. For a fuller explanation, see whether electronic signatures are legally binding.
What should an employment contract include?
A clear employment contract names the employer and employee, the job title and duties, the start date, and the compensation, including salary, bonus, and benefits. It should state whether the role is at-will, the work schedule, and any probationary period, so both sides know the terms before day one.
Many employers also fold in confidentiality, intellectual property assignment, and a policy acknowledgment, and route them together for signature. If the person you are hiring is a 1099 worker rather than a W-2 employee, the right document is different: see the difference between an employment contract and an independent contractor agreement before you send one.
Do employment contracts have to be in writing?
Not always, but a written, signed employment contract protects both sides. Many US roles are at-will and can begin on a verbal offer, yet a signed agreement is what proves the salary, title, start date, and terms if there is ever a dispute. Some terms, like a non-compete or an IP assignment, are far more enforceable in writing.
Getting the signature and date recorded with an audit trail is exactly what an electronic signature does. SignSend timestamps who signed and from where, so you have a defensible record of the agreed terms without chasing a printed copy.
What SignSend does for employment contracts
Everything you need to get an offer signed and onboarding started, without enterprise overhead.
Legally binding offers
An electronic signature on an employment contract is valid under the federal ESIGN Act and state UETA laws in all 50 states, with a tamper-evident audit trail recorded on every signed agreement.
Flat pricing, no seats
One flat rate whether you hire two people a year or twenty. No per-signer fees and no envelope caps that punish a busy hiring season.
Reusable onboarding templates
Save your standard offer letter, employment agreement, and NDA, then send them in seconds. Update the name, title, salary, and start date and the rest stays put.
Bundle the whole new-hire packet
Send the employment contract, NDA, and policy acknowledgments in one envelope, so a new hire signs everything at once instead of over several separate emails.
New hires sign from any device
Your candidate opens a secure link and signs from a phone, tablet, or laptop. No account to create and nothing to print or scan.
Audit trail on every agreement
Each signed employment contract carries a certificate recording who signed, when, and from what IP address, kept on file for the length of the employment.
How to sign an employment contract online
From uploaded offer letter to signed employment agreement in three steps.
Upload the agreement
Drag and drop your offer letter or employment contract as a PDF or Word file, up to 50MB. Add the NDA and policy forms to the same envelope if you need them signed together.
Add fields and the new hire
Place signature, initial, date, and text fields where you and the employee each need to sign, then assign each field to the right person.
Send and track
The new hire gets a secure link and signs from any device. You watch the status live and download the completed, audit-stamped employment contract.
How employment-contract signing cost compares
Same signing workflow. A fraction of the price for a small or growing team.
| Feature | SignSend Pro | Typical vendor |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $12/mo flat | $25/user/mo+ |
| Per-user fees | None | Per seat |
| Monthly document limit | Unlimited | Envelope caps |
| Reusable templates | Included | Higher tiers |
| New hire needs an account | No | Sometimes |
| Audit trail & certificate | Included | Included |
| Free plan | Yes (3 docs/mo) | Trial only |
Who signs employment contracts on SignSend
Small businesses and startups
Send an offer letter, employment agreement, and NDA in one envelope and get a new hire signed on without paying for an enterprise seat you do not need.
HR and people teams
Route the full new-hire packet for signature and keep every signed contract audit-stamped and stored, ready for the employee file.
Hiring managers
Get an accepted offer signed the same day so the start date holds, all from one flat plan with no per-seat bill.
Staffing and recruiting firms
Send employment agreements and onboarding paperwork at volume, with no per-seat cost as your headcount of placements grows.
Employment contract signing questions
Is an electronically signed employment contract legally binding?
Yes. An electronically signed employment contract is legally binding and enforceable in U.S. courts under the federal ESIGN Act of 2000 and state UETA laws, provided both parties intended to sign and the signature is tied to the document. The tamper-evident audit trail SignSend records, who signed, when, and from where, is what makes the agreement defensible if the terms are ever challenged.
How do I send an employment contract for electronic signature?
Upload the offer letter or employment agreement as a PDF or Word file, place signature, date, and text fields for you and the new hire, and send. The employee gets a secure link and signs from any device, no account required. You get the signed, audit-stamped contract back the same day, usually within hours.
Can I send the NDA and policy forms with the employment contract?
Yes. You can bundle the employment contract, NDA, and policy acknowledgments in one envelope so a new hire signs the full onboarding packet at once. That saves the back and forth of several separate emails and gets every document back audit-stamped and stored together in the employee file.
Does an employment contract need to be notarized?
No. An employment contract between an employer and an employee does not need to be notarized to be enforceable. Its validity comes from both parties' intent to sign and the audit trail, under the ESIGN Act and UETA. Notarization is only relevant for specific document types, not standard employment agreements.
What does it cost to sign employment contracts online?
SignSend is a flat $12 a month on the Pro plan with unlimited documents and no per-user fees, and a free plan covers 3 documents a month. Most e-signature vendors charge $25 or more per user per month and cap how many envelopes you can send, which adds up fast for a team that hires regularly.
Can the new hire sign without a SignSend account?
Yes. The new hire opens a secure link and signs the employment contract from any device without creating an account or installing anything. Only the person sending the agreement needs a SignSend login, which keeps onboarding simple for a candidate who signs once and starts work.
Related pages
Independent contractor agreement vs employment contract
W-2 vs 1099 and which agreement to use.
Independent Contractor Agreement Electronic Signature
Signing a 1099 contract instead? Start here.
Electronic signature for staffing agencies
Get onboarding paperwork signed fast.
Are electronic signatures legally binding?
What the ESIGN Act and UETA mean for your contracts.
Non-Compete Agreement Electronic Signature
Send the restrictive covenant with the offer.
Are non-compete agreements enforceable?
State-by-state status and the FTC rule in 2026.
Severance Agreement Electronic Signature
Sign the separation and release with a timestamped audit trail.
Commission Agreement Electronic Signature
Sign a sales commission agreement online.
Get your next employment contract signed today
Upload the offer, add the fields, and send it for a legally binding electronic signature. Free to start, no credit card required.
Start Signing for Free