Small businesses can now send, sign, and store employee documents electronically in Patriot HR® — research shows e-signed documents come back in under 24 hours.
CANTON, Ohio — August 24, 2026 — Patriot Software, a leading accounting and payroll software provider for American small businesses, announced the launch of employee e-signatures in its HR software. The new feature lets employers collect legally binding electronic signatures on offer letters, handbooks, policy acknowledgments, and other employee documents directly within Patriot’s employee portal and self-onboarding workflow.
Until now, small business employers have typically relied on printing documents, chasing down handwritten signatures, and scanning and uploading the results, or paying for a separate e-signature tool on top of their HR software. With employee e-signatures built into Patriot’s HR software at no additional cost, employers can go fully digital in the same place they already manage payroll and HR.
The time savings are significant. Research shows that 79% of agreements completed using e-signatures are finished in less than 24 hours, and businesses see turnaround times improve by more than 75% on average. This is a sharp contrast to the days or weeks paper documents can spend in transit.
With employee e-signatures, Patriot HR customers can:
- Attach documents to onboarding invitations so new hires review and sign paperwork before day one, right inside the self-onboarding wizard.
- Create reusable templates with drag-and-drop signature, initials, and date fields.
- Send documents to one employee or the whole company for necessary employee acknowledgements like handbooks, policy changes, or performance reviews.
- Track signing status at a glance with a dedicated “Signature Status” view and email notifications when documents are completed.
- Rely on a built-in audit trail, including a timestamped record of each signature and a SHA-256 hash of every signed PDF for tamper verification.
Employees can review and sign documents from their employee portal, and both the employer and employee receive finalized signed copies that are stored securely in the software.
“Document acknowledgments help employers confirm that employees have received and reviewed important information. But small business owners shouldn’t have to print, scan, and chase down paperwork just to collect a signature,” said Amie Scarpitti, HR Product Manager at Patriot Software. “With e-signatures built into Patriot’s HR software, employers can send offer letters, handbooks, and new policies for signature. Once signed, the documents are automatically stored in both the employer’s and employee’s records. It’s one less thing for busy business owners to worry about.”
Employee e-signatures are available now to all Patriot HR customers at no additional cost. The HR software is available as an add-on to Patriot’s payroll software. New customers get 30 days free, then save 50% for the next six months on any software when they sign up by August 31, 2026. To learn more, visit https://www.patriotsoftware.com.
About Patriot Software
Patriot Software is disrupting the accounting and payroll industries with its low prices, highest customer reviews, and award-winning software. Patriot offers cloud-based accounting, payroll, HR, and time & attendance solutions that help American businesses with up to 500 employees simplify their administrative tasks. Patriot’s USA-based customer support team provides a personal touch that most software companies lack today. The company has been serving tens of thousands of businesses nationwide since 2002.
Media Contact:
Rachel Blakely-Gray
Content Manager
marketing@patriotsoftware.com
www.patriotsoftware.com
