We have recently introduced a new company policy and requested that employees sign and return the acknowledgement form. What happens if an employee refuses to sign the acknowledgement form?
Employers sometimes seek an employee’s signature to demonstrate confirmation that an employee has received a copy of a policy and that they have read and understood it.
The law
There is no legal obligation for an employee to sign a policy acknowledgement form and therefore employers should not try to force an employee’s signature.
Practical advice
How to encourage a signature
There are things that an employer can do to encourage an employee to sign an acknowledgement form, such as to:
- Take all reasonable steps to ensure that the employee understands the information contained in the policy. This may include discussing the policy at an employee meeting, translating the document into a language other than English or asking whether there is anything in the policy which is confusing.
- Use language in the acknowledge form which is more likely to achieve a signature, such as language that is less formal and directive. An example of such language may be as follows: “I [insert employee name] confirm that I have read and understood the policy”, as opposed to “I [insert employee name] confirm that I have read, understood and agree to comply with the policy”.
How to deal with a refusal to sign
If an employee refuses to sign a policy, the employer may seek to take the following steps:
- Tell the employee that they are still required to comply with the policy and that failure to do so may lead to disciplinary action, irrespective of whether they sign the acknowledgement form.
- Ask the employee to write a statement recording their refusal to sign the document or, if they refuse to do that too, ask a company representative to state that the employee has refused to sign the acknowledgement form and to sign and date this statement.
Further assistance
For further information or advice regarding company policies or managing employees in general, please call the Workplace Advice Line on 1300 55 66 77.
