Employee Acknowledgment Form

If you haven’t discovered the Texas Workforce Commission’s book Especially for Texas Employers, you are missing out on an invaluable and free resource to help you avoid costly legal mistakes in managing your employees. You can get a hard copy of the book at Panhandle Workforce Solutions at 1206 W. 7th Street in Amarillo. There are also offices in Borger, Childress, Dalhart, Dumas, Hereford, Pampa and Tulia.

You can also access this book with all of its wonderful forms online by clicking here. It includes lots of solid advice for employers and suggested personnel policies and forms.

One example of a good form available in Especially for Texas Employers is an acknowledgment of receipt of the employee policies.

Getting each of your employees to sign one of these is a crucial step to defending your business against unemployment claims and other employee lawsuits. The acknowledgment helps you overcome the employee’s testimony that he just didn’t know it was against the rules to show up to work while under the influence, or to miss three days without calling in, or to use racial slurs to describe another employee. Since all of these behaviors should be addressed in your personnel policies, the acknowledgment prevents the employee from claiming ignorance.

It should also reinforce the “at will’ employment concept so valuable to Texas employers: your employee has no contract of employment with your company and can be terminated at any time with or without cause.

Finally it should let the employee know that the policies can be changed at any time so that the employee can’t claim “that’s the way we have always done it”.

The Texas Workforce Commission’s acknowledgment is as follows:

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RECEIPT OF EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK

The Employee Handbook contains important information about the Company, and I understand that I should consult the Administrator/Office Manager/General Manager/Branch Manager/Human Resources Manager [designate one] regarding any questions not answered in the handbook. I have entered into my employment relationship with the Company voluntarily, and understand that there is no specified length of employment. Accordingly, either the Company or I can terminate the relationship at will, at any time, with or without cause, and with or without advance notice.

I understand and agree that no person other than the Executive Director/President/Chief Executive Officer [designate one] may enter into an employment agreement for any specified period of time, or make any agreement contrary to the Company’s stated employment-at-will policy.

Since the information, policies, and benefits described herein are subject to change at any time, I acknowledge that revisions to the handbook may occur, except to the Company’s policy of employment-at-will. All such changes will generally be communicated through official notices, and I understand that revised information may supersede, modify, or eliminate existing policies. Only the President of the Company has the ability to adopt any revisions to the policies in this handbook.

Furthermore, I understand that this handbook is neither a contract of employment nor a legally-binding agreement. I have had an opportunity to read the handbook, and I understand that I may ask my supervisor or any employee of the Human Resources Department any questions I might have concerning the handbook. I accept the terms of the handbook. I also understand that it is my responsibility to comply with the policies contained in this handbook, and any revisions made to it. I further agree that if I remain with the Company following any modifications to the handbook, I thereby accept and agree to such changes.

I have received a copy of the Company’s Employee Handbook on the date listed below. I understand that I am expected to read the entire handbook. Additionally, I will sign the two copies of this Acknowledgment of Receipt, retain one copy for myself, and return one copy to the Company’s representative listed below on the date specified. I understand that this form will be retained in my personnel file.

__________________________________  __________________

Signature of Employee                             Date

__________________________________

Employee’s Name – Printed

__________________________________  __________________

Company Representative                          Date

Leave a Reply