When you launch your handbook or start a new signature round, you have the option to set a due date on that signature round:
What does this actually do?
1. See when a signature is past due in your reporting center
The "Due Date" column in your reporting center will let you know when a signature is overdue.
2. Time automated signature reminders based on the due date
When you set up an automated signature reminder, you choose when the reminder gets sent. If your signature round has a due date, you can base your reminder off that date rather than on the day someone was first invited to sign.
This is helpful for #3 below (you can change an individual's signature due date).
3. Handle exceptions
You may have an employee who goes on leave soon after they start, or during the signing period for a document. If there's no due date, two things will happen:
The person will not sign the document while they're out and there will be no documented record of why in your reporting center.
If you have automated signature reminder emails set up based on the day someone was first invited to sign, these emails will be sent to the employee while they are gone.
Using due dates on your signature round solves both of these issues because you can change any individual's signature due date. In the reporting center, go to Document view, click their row to open their documentation details, click the SIGNATURES tab, then click the number of days. You can then edit the number of days and document a reason for the change.
This will (a) prevent a big red "overdue" visual from showing up in the reporting center and (b) if automated reminders are based on this due date, you are effectively changing the date that those reminders are sent so the employee will get them when they are back in the office.