What is a employee code of conduct acknowledgement?
A code of conduct sets out how everyone in the business is expected to behave: honestly, respectfully, without conflicts or bribes, and with care for company resources and other people's data. A signed acknowledgement shows each employee received it and committed to it.
This template records the code's title, version and date and how it was provided, and whether the acknowledgement is on joining, an annual certification, or after an update. It summarises the key commitments, tells the employee who to ask, and confirms they can raise concerns without retaliation and report unlawful conduct to the authorities. For annual certifications, an optional disclosure section records either that the employee has nothing to report or the matters they have disclosed.
- Best for
- New starters, annual ethics certifications and code updates
- Signed by
- The employee, and the employer to confirm the code was provided
- Annual certification
- Optional disclosure of known breaches or conflicts
- Length
- 1 to 2 pages
When to use a employee code of conduct acknowledgement
- Onboarding paperwork for every new employee
- A yearly code of ethics certification for finance or regulated teams
- Collecting sign-off after the code is rewritten or updated
- Showing a customer, investor or auditor that staff have certified the code
- Recording a disclosed conflict of interest during an annual certification
What you fill in
11 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: employee, employer.
1 Details
- Company name*
- Employee's full name*
- Job title
2 The code
- Title of the code*
- Version
- Code dated
- How the code was provided* Electronically, on the company intranet · Electronically, by email · As a printed copy · Attached to this acknowledgement
- This acknowledgement is* on joining the Company · an annual certification · following an update to the code
3 Disclosure
- Matters to disclose (annual certification)* Not applicable · I have nothing to disclose · I have disclosed the matters set out below
- Matters disclosed
4 Contacts
- Questions about the code go to*
5 Who signs
- Employee signature and date
- Employer signature and date, job title · HR, compliance or the manager recording the acknowledgement.
What the employee code of conduct acknowledgement covers
- My commitment
- Questions and concerns
- Consequences
Using the employee code of conduct acknowledgement, step by step
1 Identify the code
Enter the title, version and date of your code of conduct, and how the employee received it.
2 Choose the occasion
Pick on joining, annual certification, or following an update. The opening sentence changes to match.
3 Record any disclosure
For an annual certification, choose "nothing to disclose" or record the matters the employee has disclosed. Otherwise leave it as not applicable.
4 Send to the employee
Add the employee as the first signer and yourself as the employer. The signed acknowledgement is filed in your vault.
Tips before you send it
- Ask about disclosures before you send an annual certification, so the signed document reflects the real answer.
- Keep the code itself short and practical — people follow what they can remember.
- Point to your whistleblowing and conflict of interest procedures from the code.
- Re-certify after any significant change to the code.
Sign it online in minutes
- Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
- Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. FileIt builds the PDF with every signature, date box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
- Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in your vault and emailed to everyone.
Employee code of conduct acknowledgement: frequently asked questions
How is this different from the employee handbook acknowledgement?
The handbook covers day-to-day employment policies. A code of conduct focuses on ethics and behaviour — honesty, conflicts, bribery, confidentiality and speaking up. Many employers use both.
Can I use it for an annual certification?
Yes. Choose "an annual certification" and use the disclosure option to record whether the employee knows of any breach or undisclosed conflict.
Does the code become part of the employment contract?
Not through this acknowledgement. It says the code is not part of the contract unless the contract itself says so, but the employee is still expected to follow it.
Is an electronic acknowledgement enough?
For workplace policy acknowledgements like this, electronic signatures are widely accepted. FileIt keeps the audit trail showing when each employee signed.