New Hire Onboarding Checklist (US) template

2. Federal paperwork essentials

• Form I-9: employee completes Section 1 by the first day of work for pay; {{org.name}} completes its section, with the employee's original documents, within 3 business days of the start date. [Name/role] owns this deadline. [If {{org.name}} uses E-Verify: create the case per current E-Verify rules.]
• Form W-4: collected before the first payroll so federal withholding is right from paycheck one.
• New-hire reporting: [name/role] reports the hire to [state] new-hire directory within the state's timeframe.
• State and local items: [state tax withholding form, required notices, and any local items — check your state and local authority and list them here].
• I-9s are stored [separately from personnel files, per current USCIS retention guidance] at [location/system].

3. Before day one

1. 1Send the offer letter and [employment agreement/handbook acknowledgment] for signature, and confirm the start date, time, location, dress code, and who will meet them — in writing.
2. 2Send the new-hire packet: Form W-4, [state withholding form], direct deposit form, emergency contacts, and benefits enrollment information [if applicable].
3. 3Tell the new hire which original documents to bring on day one for Form I-9, using the list of acceptable documents from USCIS — you may not specify which documents they choose.
4. 4Set up payroll, IT accounts, email, [system] access, door codes or keys, workstation, uniform, and PPE in their size where the role requires it.
5. 5Choose and brief a buddy who will be scheduled alongside the new hire in week one, and book the manager's calendar: day one, end-of-week-one review, and the 30-day review.
6. 6Prepare the day one plan hour by hour, with this checklist printed or loaded in [system] for signing as items complete.

4. Day one

1. 1Meet the new hire on arrival, complete Form I-9 Section 1 if not already done, and start the employer section if their documents are in hand — the 3-business-day clock is already running.
2. 2Run the workplace tour: their work area, restrooms, break area, first aid kit, fire exits, and the assembly point at [location].
3. 3Cover the safety essentials before any work: the alarm, evacuation routes, how to report an injury or hazard, and the specific hazards of their role with the controls that apply — [reference the job hazard analysis for the role].
4. 4Walk through the key documents for the role — [handbook, safety policies, cash handling, confidentiality] — signed as read where required.
5. 5Issue equipment and PPE, demonstrate anything they will use, and confirm they can use it safely before unsupervised use.
6. 6Introduce the team and the buddy, explain the schedule, breaks, timekeeping, and pay dates, and end the day with a 15-minute check-in.

5. First week

1. 1Complete the employer section of Form I-9 within 3 business days of the start date — verify [name/role] has signed it off before day three ends.
2. 2Confirm W-4, [state withholding], direct deposit, and new-hire reporting are all processed before the first payroll run.
3. 3Train the new hire on their core tasks against the relevant procedures, one at a time, with a sign-off per task: [task list for role].
4. 4Cover the policies that bite early: attendance and call-off procedure, phone use, [till/register rules], and anything role-specific.
5. 5Hold the end-of-week review: what is landing, what needs repeating, and what training comes next.

6. First month

1. 1Complete the remaining role training and record each sign-off: [modules/procedures].
2. 2Release the new hire to unsupervised work task by task, only as each sign-off completes.
3. 3Confirm benefits enrollment happened within the plan's window [if applicable] and answer the first-paycheck questions — withholding surprises surface at paycheck one.
4. 4Hold the 30-day review against [the role expectations/introductory period criteria]: performance, attendance, training progress, and objectives for the next [60/90] days.
5. 5Ask the new hire what was missing from their onboarding — and feed the answer back into this checklist.

7. Records and review

The signed checklist, training sign-offs, and policy acknowledgments are filed in [system/location] and retained for [period]; I-9s are stored separately per current USCIS retention guidance. If it is not signed, it did not happen — that is how an auditor, insurer, or plaintiff's attorney will read it.

This checklist is reviewed [frequency], whenever federal or state forms change, and whenever a new hire's feedback exposes a gap. Owner: [name/role]. Next review due: [date].