E-signature in a staffing agency: signing contracts with temporary workers

According to a 2021 legal note from the law firm Gałecki and Associates, nothing prevents an agency from concluding employment and civil-law contracts through SignSafe with Polish citizens and with foreign nationals whose status is equal as regards the right to work: written form is met. There are caveats, including confirming the terms to the employee before work starts (Art. 29 § 2 Labour Code). This is a summary, not legal advice.

According to a 2021 legal note from the law firm Gałecki and Associates, a staffing agency can conclude employment contracts and civil-law contracts through SignSafe with Polish citizens and with foreign nationals whose status is equal as regards the right to work. Written form is met in these cases. There are caveats, described below. This is a summary, not legal advice, and it refers to Polish law.

Why does this topic matter for staffing agencies?

A temporary employment agency handles many people in a short time. Each has a set of documents to sign, often on the same day and without being able to come to the office. If every document needs a visit or a paper mailing, recruitment slows down and the worker waits to start.

What does the 2021 legal note say?

A signature in SignSafe is a handwritten signature and meets written form (according to the 2023 legal opinion of G&A, see Legal security). The 2021 note states that nothing prevents employment contracts and civil-law contracts from being concluded this way, including with foreign nationals whose status is equal to Polish citizens as regards the right to work. It also points out three caveats.

What are the caveats?

• Confirming the employment contract. The employer should confirm to the employee in writing that the contract was concluded and its terms before the employee starts work (Art. 29 § 2 Labour Code).
• Interpretation risk. In work-permit or residence proceedings and in labour inspectorate (PIP) checks, authorities may read “written form” as a paper document. Keep this in mind and agree with a lawyer how to prepare.
• Foreign nationals. For a contract with a foreign national, you must provide a translation in a language they understand.

We do not decide here how this applies in your agency. Discuss it with a lawyer, including how to store employee records in electronic form.

What does the process look like?

1. The recruiter prepares a set of documents (PDF) or picks a template with fields to fill in.
2. The document goes to the candidate, who opens it in a browser on a phone, with no account and no app.
3. The candidate fills in the fields and signs with a finger on the screen.
4. The recruiter sees the status in the document list (red, yellow or green dot), and once everyone has signed the finished document arrives in the sender’s e-mail. Many contracts can then be signed in bulk, all at once.
5. The signed document is in the account, and with the API integration it returns to the employee’s profile in the agency’s system.

Which documents are typical?

Examples of use (not a legally recommended list):

• employment contracts, commission contracts and other contracts with the worker,
• consents to data processing,
• statements and confirmations of having read the rules,
• documents about working conditions at the client’s site.

The rollout at the agency R2T

R2T, a temporary employment agency, rolled out signing of contracts with temporary workers (contrat de mission) and with agency clients (contrat de mise à disposition). The solution was integrated through the API with R2T’s dedicated system for running a staffing agency. See the page R2T rollout and API integration for details. Michel T. from R2T described his experience:

“SignSafe has significantly improved how we sign contracts with employees and clients. Because documents can be signed remotely, with no need to come to the office in person, recruitment and hiring have become more efficient and less time-consuming. The tool is fully compliant with legal regulations, which gives us confidence that all contracts are fully binding. It is an ideal solution for the temporary-work industry, where operational efficiency is crucial.”

Michel T., R2T, temporary employment agency

This is a customer’s opinion, not our legal assessment.

When is it worth adding the API?

With many contracts, sending from the agency’s system saves recruiters’ time: the worker’s data is taken from the system, and the signed file returns to their profile. Integration runs through the REST API, and you get support at every stage of the rollout. More in the article on the e-signature API and on the API integration page.

Practical tips for recruiters

• Send documents in one bundle with a short note on what the candidate should do.
• Use templates with fields so the candidate fills in their own data.
• Use the contact list for candidates you work with repeatedly.
• Check the status instead of calling each candidate.
• For foreign nationals, attach a translation of the contract.

What we do not promise

We do not promise specific implementation times or savings. The effect depends on the number of documents, their type and how the agency works. Start with one simple document and measure the result yourself.

What next

• See the page on e-signature for staffing agencies.
• Read about the R2T rollout and more customer reviews.
• Describe your process to us: contact us.