Which HR documents can be signed electronically, which still need ink, and how to keep an audit trail that holds up in a labour dispute.

This is practical guidance, not legal advice. Check specific cases with your legal counsel; the rules cited are current as of August 2026.

The legal basis

Two laws matter. The Digital Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan (in force since July 2026, replacing the Law on Electronic Document and Electronic Digital Signature) gives a document signed with an electronic digital signature (EDS) the same legal force as a paper original. The Labour Code, since the 2020 amendments, explicitly allows employment contracts and related documents to be concluded and stored electronically.

Three kinds of signature

Qualified EDS — a certificate issued by the National Certification Authority (NCA RK). Equivalent to a handwritten signature for any document.
Corporate certificate — issued to an employee of a registered legal entity; the standard choice for internal approvals.
Simple electronic signature — a click, code or login. Valid when both parties agreed to it in advance, typically through an electronic-interaction agreement with the employee.

What HR can sign electronically

Employment contracts and amendments.
Vacation applications and orders.
Business-trip orders and expense reports.
Internal policies and acknowledgement of them.
Equipment handover acts and material-liability agreements.

What still needs paper

Very little in day-to-day HR. Exceptions come from other regulations rather than the signature law itself — for example some documents submitted to state bodies that do not yet accept electronic originals, and documents where a notary is required.

The audit trail

A signature is only as good as the record around it. Keep, for every document: who signed, with which certificate, at what time, the document hash, and the full approval history. MyDesk records these automatically and lets you export the evidence pack as a PDF.

Practical checklist

Sign an electronic-interaction agreement with every employee before using simple signatures.
Use corporate certificates for anything with legal or financial weight.
Set retention periods per document type to match statutory requirements.
Test that an exported document with its signature can be verified independently.