Transitioning to eSignatures for employment documents in Central Europe

What are the benefits of transitioning to eSignatures for employment documents?

With the recent COVID-19 pandemic and an increase in workcation opportunities, more and more people now find themselves working remotely. Companies have employees working in different cities and even in different countries, which for HR departments makes the task of coordinating the physical signing of employment documents cumbersome, if not entirely impractical.

Allied to these labour dynamics, corporate ESG strategies are increasingly encouraging companies to look towards paperless solutions. From a purely operational perspective, too, we have seen that multinational enterprises find it easier to integrate fully digital (rather than paper) solutions into their workflows and approval processes, resulting in a move towards paperless operation in the workplace.

The digitalisation of HR processes allows companies to save time signing contracts and reduce their archiving costs. Naturally, this requires a legal framework to be in place that allows employers and employees to sign and deliver employment documents electronically. In recent years, countries in Central Europe have taken significant steps to adapt their legislation accordingly.

Which legal criteria should be considered when planning to transition to eSignatures for employment documents?

In this publication, we will identify the legal requirements and obstacles to implementing legally compliant HR digitalisation solutions in Central Europe.

First, we will examine the levels of eSignatures required to validly sign employment documents in each country, with a review of the legal status of the simple electronic signature (SES), advanced electronic signature (AES) and qualified electronic signature (QES).

We will then assess the legal requirements for the delivery of e-signed documents and whether the electronic delivery of employment documents is permitted by national laws.

Finally, to complete our overview of the e-document landscape, we will assess the rules governing the retention and archiving of employment documents.

We hope you find this publication helpful. Feel free to contact us to discover how you can integrate eSignatures into your business operations.